The Spellfire Saga, Volume One: Shards
by DragonDancer5150
Summary: Agnst the backdrop of KC's Battle City, a different battle has begun. Like the pattering of first raindrops, signs of supernatural war threaten, & Tokyo's neighbor Domino will find itself in the eye of the storm. YYH x YGO x Ronin Warriors COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1 Back Into the Swing

Author's Notes: September 11, 2007 – Recently, I have been working with the _fabulous_ MyAibou who has been beta'ing some of my stories. Two of her excellent lessons to me have been in shifting POV issues (and either cleaning up the sections or at least _breaking_ the scenes with each POV shift) and shorter, more digestible chapters. I have been pleased enough with the results of experimenting with both of these new (to me) conventions that I am going ahead and reposted this story in its newer, more manageable format. At least I _hope_it's more manageable. You know that it says something when I'm reading through a chapter and feel like I'm bogged down and wondering where the end is and when I'll reach it . . . and I wrote it! Anyway, because of the breaking up of chapters, increasing the overall number, that unfortunately is also going to throw off all reviews before this date. Please note the changes as follows: Chp 1 did not change, but any reviews to Chp 2 might refer to Chp 2 or 3; Chp 3 broke out into Chp's 4 & 5; Chp 4 - Chp's 6 & 7; Chp 5 - Chp's 8 thru 10; 6 - 11-14; 7 - 15-18; 8 - 19-22; 9 - 23-26; 10 - 27-29; 11 - 30-33; 12 - 34-38; and 13 is now Chp 39. Please note also that there is a . . . character who has seen some changes in appearance . . . when she's let herself be known at all. ((wink))

Disclaimer – Yu Yu Hakusho, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and Ronin Warriors (aka Yoroiden: Samurai Troopers) and all related characters, events, and concepts belong to their respective owners. I get no monetary benefit from this. My benefit is the enjoyment of dealing with beloved characters. If you recognize him/her/it, I don't own him/her/it. If you don't recognize, I might still not be the owner but it'd be best to ask. I'd appreciate it, anyway. ((grin))

"The Spellfire Saga – 1: Shards"  
by DragonDancer5150

Chapter 1 – Back into the Swing

Kurama walked slowly along the halls, schoolcase in one hand at his side, an open book cradled in the other. More than studying, he was hoping to appear occupied enough to be left alone until he could reach his first class. He knew the results of the most recent Comprehensive Tests would have been posted by this morning. After the events of the past weekend, even this many days later, he was in no mood to deal either with the girls looking for his attention or the students, both male and female alike, whose seeming words of praise ill-concealed the envy, hate, and competition beneath.

"Well, if it isn't Minamino-kun," came a soft, almost monotone voice. Kurama stifled a groan even as he turned in curiosity. Of all the students whom might have addressed him in an unfriendly tone, Kaito Yuu was the last he had expected. It was not that Kaito was a friend. Indeed, as second in the testing only to Kurama time and time again, Kaito rarely spoke to him at all without necessity. The boy's next words startled him further. "So, how does it feel to be in _second_ place for once?"

"Did you take first this time? Well, congratulations - " Kurama's words were sincere, but they seemed only to anger Kaito.

"Don't patronize me, Minamino-kun!" he murmured with a scowl, then looked again at Kurama. He pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose, a habit Kurama had long associated with his classmate. "Hn. You really _don't_ know, do you?" He thumbed over his shoulder down the hall to the foyer. "In our year, you took first - again - but in the school at large, you have ranked second. Not only that but it was a first-year." Kurama realized that he must have shown more surprise than he meant when Kaito added, "Don't believe me? Go check it out for yourself."

"No, Kaito-kun, I believe you. Who was it?"

Kaito shrugged as he turned toward his first class. "Go see. Oh, and congratulate him for me, will you?" With that, he was around the corner and gone.

Kurama stared after him for a moment, then looked again toward the foyer. In spite of himself, his steps turned that way down the hall. He could not deny his curiosity. Someone to rank above him on the tests had to have an incredibly brilliant mind. The least Kurama could do was meet him. He approached to the edge of the crowd, looking as were the rest at the results scrolled across the wall above the hall doors. Sure enough, the top of the first-year list also had top of school marked by the name. "Hashiba Touma," Kurama read, interest coloring his voice.

The boy standing next to him commented, "You've heard of Hashiba-kun, haven't you?" Kurama shook his head. The boy glanced the crowd over, then pointed at a student across the room who seemed to be trying to remain unnoticed. Kurama had never seen such blue hair on a human before. Nodding his thanks, he crossed to intercept the first-year. Before Kurama could draw his attention, however, he was joined by a second-year, a boy with shoulder-length chestnut hair. Kurama recognized him from Marine Biology. "Mouri-kun," he called, giving a wave.

Sea-green eyes turned to meet his emerald gaze. "Oh, Minamino-kun. Hello there." Mouri Shin smiled and motioned him over. "We were just talking about you. Touma, this is Minamino Shuichi-kun. He's in my Marine Biology class."

_Mouri calls him by his personal name . . . and does not use an honorific_, Kurama noted with mild surprise as he bowed and extended a hand. _They must be very close indeed._

Hashiba bowed in return, accepting the handshake. "_Senpai_, my name is Hashiba Touma, first year."

"Minamino Shuichi, second year. Glad to make your acquaintance." He grinned. "And congratulations on the Comprehensive Testing." Hashiba seemed to study him for a moment, as though questioning the sincerity or sarcasm of his words, something he understood intimately. What happened next, however, startled Kurama. He saw Mouri dip his head, seeming to search for something in his schoolcase, but glance at his friend with a small smile. At the same time, Kurama sensed an exchange of energies between the boys, as though there were some telepathic communication occurring. He kept his expression neutral even as he wondered if Hashiba noticed his recognition.

8 8 8 8 8

Touma noted his friend's small smile as Shin glanced at him sidelong. _-See, I told you he's not the competitive, snobbish type. Kaito-kun might say something, but Minamino-kun's all right about it. He really is glad for you. That's just the kind of person he is.-_

Touma nodded mentally. _-As long as he's not going to threaten to pound my face in or anything – -_ He stopped, looking again at the friendly emerald eyes meeting his. He was stricken just then by the depths he could swear he saw there, an impression of agelessness Touma had never seen before. At the same time, his Armor orb felt warm in his pocket against his hip. The feeling was not a warning, per se, but the Armor of the Heavens seemed to recognize something clearly unusual about the boy standing before him.

The warning bell for first period rang. "Oops," Shin murmured with a smile. "Time to go. See you in Biology, Minamino-kun." The three went their separate ways.

8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8

"Hey, watch where you're walking!" growled a familiar voice of an unfriendly sort just to Shu's left. He turned to see another student with his fist buried into the front of Seiji's school jacket. _That damned - ! Not this time!_ They had just gotten their Warrior of Light back, and he still was not feeling well. No way this two-bit punk was going to dishonor him on the whim of a surly attitude.

"Let him go, Urameshi-kun," Shu warned.

"Or what, Mr. Chow Mein?"

Shu looked up at Big Shot Number Two, an unusually tall fellow by the name of Kuwabara Kazuma. Shu had heard of this guy back in junior high. His reputation as the toughest punk in town was eclipsed only by one Urameshi Yusuke whom, rumor had it, had died and come back about a year ago. _Just after_ –

"Cool it, Shu. It's all right," Seiji admonished. "Sorry, Urameshi-kun. You're right. I wasn't paying attention."

Urameshi regarded him a moment longer before letting out a deep breath and shoving Seiji back a little, turning on his heel. "Don't sweat it. S'no big deal." He trudged into the school building without another word, his buddy Kuwabara a step behind.

_What was that all about?_ Shu wanted to know, half tempted to go after the punk. The guy looked a little on edge, like he had had a rough week. _Keh, what does _he_ know about rough?_

Shu and his friends had just gotten back a few days ago from nearly two weeks in America – and it had _not_ been a pleasure trip. The truth of the matter was, an inhuman sorcerer of some kind had lured their friend, Date Seiji – Seiji of the Halo – to New York City in America, then relocated him clear across country to Los Angeles, attempting to discover and harness the power of his Ronin Elemental Armor, the Armor of Light and the Spirit. Seiji had been subjected to a number of tortures – hallucinatory drugs, sensory deprivation, hypnosis and mind games, and electrical shock – in the attempt to steal and control the Halo Armor. Many crimes were committed by the magically-animated Armor, with numerous lives taken, while in Shikaisen's vile hands. The rest of the team – Shu of the HardRock, Ryo of the WildFire, Touma of the Heavens, and Shin of the Torrent – had a tough time finding their brother and a tougher time overcoming his demonic captor. As soon as that battle had been won, they were thrown into a new struggle they very nearly lost as Seiji collapsed in convulsive shock, his body reacting to the chemicals and other abuses to which it had been subjected. Seiji had lain in a Los Angeles hospital in a coma for over a week, his body not healing despite the proximity of his Armor orb. They discovered that Seiji had rejected his Armor, fearing it, shamed by it and by himself, for all the atrocities that had been committed by his Armor and that he had been "too weak" to prevent from happening. Seiji had been raised by the ancient tenets of the honor-bound samurai and was ready to die in atonement of what he saw as "his" sins. Only when Touma, going into his best friend's soul while anchored to the physical world by his teammates, finally reached Seiji's consciousness at the edge of Oblivion did he come back, having to be convinced that this was not the way to handle the wrongs that had been done.

One day, Seiji had been at Death's Door. The next, he was conscious, alert, oriented, and none of the doctors could explain it, except to call it a miracle healing. Then again, the team members mused among themselves, they were the Ronin Warriors – miracles were their specialty, it seemed. After a few more days, Seiji was allowed to return home – and to school.

"Hey, Shu! Don't think so hard. You'll short-circuit something," a voice laughed behind him.

Shu turned to meet tiger-blue eyes under thick, wild bangs of raven-black. Sanada Ryo had just arrived to the schoolyard – surely out of breath because he had been almost late and had to run like he did too many mornings. _Yeah, things can finally get back to normal_, Shu thought with a sigh_._ "Yo, Ryo!"

"Has the bell rung yet?"

"Not yet," Seiji replied, eyeing him. "Did you oversleep again?" They knew that Ryo had a nine-mile walk to school from his home in the foothills outside of the city.

"Heh, actually . . . yeah. I was up all night studying for an Algebra test coming up and almost didn't get up in time to get breakfast."

"Dude! How can you _not_ eat breakfast?" Shu gaped.

Seiji laughed. "By not being a bottomless pit of a garbage disposal."

"Hey, a guy's gotta keep his strength up – ya know?"

Ryo looked over at a group gathered by the double doors entering the school building, recognizing one of them just as the warning bell rang to head to first period. "Hey, catch you two later. I have to talk to someone before classes."

Shu and Seiji watched him sprint over to a knot of upperclassmen and, to their surprise, the solitary female separated herself to meet him as her friends headed into the building. Shu stared in shock. "Don't _tell_ me Ryo's seein' a third-year?"

8 8 8 8 8

"What a couple'a jerks." A small knot of third-year students watched a near confrontation between some first-years dissolve without incident.

"Well, Blondie shoulda been watchin' where he was going, instead of spacing off like that."

"What, you gotta problem with blond?"

"Jonouchi, Honda, will you knock it off!" Mazaki Anzu huffed at her two friends. "Honestly, you guys sound like primary schoolers sometimes."

"Guys, I don't think Date-kun was just spacing. He's not the type."

Jonouchi Katsuya looked down at his best friend, quite notably the shortest of the group. "Hey, Yug, you know that guy?"

Mutou Yugi shook his head. "Not personally, but I recognize him. He's the captain of the kendo team, even though he's only a first-year. I think I've heard he's the _national_ champion, too. I understand he's a really nice guy, very courteous."

"And popular, though I've always gotten that it's more his exotic looks than his personality." Honda Hiroto rolled his eyes. "Word is, he's actually pretty shy around girls. Any rumor of his having a girlfriend is probably just some chick trying to be cool. Say – if a thick mop of gold hair's all it takes to be popular with the ladies," Honda teased, "how come no one's chasing you?"

Jonouchi moved to tackle Honda, but Bakura Ryou stepped between them. "Guys! The bell is going to ring any time. We don't need a teacher - " The ringing bell interrupted him.

"_Senpai!_" The raven-haired boy who had joined the blond and the Chinese kid was now trotting their way.

"Oh, Sanada-kun! Good morning." Anzu grinned. "Hey, you guys go on ahead. I'll see you at lunch."

The boys headed into the foyer to change into their indoor shoes. "Hey, uh . . . Anzu's not . . . seeing him, is she?" Yugi asked, voice tentative.

"No, no!" Bakura put in before either Jonouchi or Honda could reply, giving Yugi a reassuring grin. "His name is Sanada Ryo. You know that Anzu's making a little extra money tutoring, right? He's one of her newest Algebra students."

8 8 8 8 8

Following a few steps behind, Anzu turned to her student. "So, what's going on, Sanada-kun?"

Ryo waved off the name choice. "No, my dad is Sanada. Just call me Ryo."

"All right," Anzu laughed. "Then, no more 'Senpai,' either, okay? Just 'Anzu'."

"Done." Ryo grinned. "So, I was wondering. Are you free at all tomorrow? I have a test coming up, and I'm not sure I understand all the formulas in the chapter yet."

Anzu winced. "Um, sorry, Ryo-kun, but . . . I have a previous engagement." She caught herself glancing over her shoulder at her friends. "My friend, Rumiko, might be able to work with you, though."

Ryo followed her glance. "Oh, yeah. Kaiba Corp's Duel Monsters tournament starts tomorrow morning, doesn't it? Are you in the tournament? Or one of your friends? Say, isn't that Mutou Yugi-san?"

Anzu grinned, full of pride in her friends. "Yep. And Jonouchi Katsuya-kun. They'll be competing. The rest of us will be there to support and cheer them on."

"Cool! My buddy, Shu – eh, Shu Rei Fuan-kun – will be playing in that tournament, too."

"Well, best of luck to him, then! Hm, 'Shu Rei Fuan' – that's a Chinese name, isn't it? Oh, that guy you were just saying 'hi' to, right?" Ryo nodded. "Yeah, Yugi told me he's in his gym class."

The comment startled Ryo for a moment, but then he recalled, "Oh, yeah, I remember back at the beginning of the year, Shu mentioned that a third-year had been scheduled in his phys ed class – little shrimp of a guy, too . . . Uh, I-I mean – !" Ryo backpedaled from her sudden frown. "Heh, never mind. It's not important. Shu says he's super shy, but he usually manages to hold his own in class."

Anzu sighed. "Yeah, he can be pretty introverted sometimes – though he's really a lot better than he used to be." She paused, thinking that she could not tell him _why_ Yugi was no longer so timid. "Anyway, he's a great person once you get to know him."

Ryo grinned. "Yeah, I'm sure he is. Hey, maybe you'll introduce us sometime?"

"I'd love to. In fact, come on down to the main plaza tomorrow morning. That's where the tournament will begin. In the meantime, would you like me to have Rumiko give you a call tonight about that test?"

"Sure, if you don't mind." The second and final warning bell rang. "Oops! Gotta go. Catch ya later, Anzu-san. Thanks!"

8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8

"Hey, uh, Urameshi . . . so what was that all about with Date, huh? You've been like this for almost a week, ever since – You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Yusuke snapped at Kuwabara as they power-walked to their first period class. He had even almost forgotten to stop in the foyer for his indoor shoes. Silently, he growled, _Of course, I'm not okay, you idiot! I came too close to losing all my friends . . . again! How many freakin' times is this gonna happen? How many times do I have . . . have to risk you guys?_

Had it really been a week already? Had it _only_ been so long? It seemed like yesterday that he was pulling most of his only friends from rubble on the top of a skyscraper in the middle of downtown Shinjuku, having nearly failed to keep the Human Realm from getting an unneeded facelift by one Lord Yakumo, who had tried to resurrect his own long-forgotten Nether Realm out of the Human Realm using the energies of the Spirit Realm and his own Power Sphere, or whatever it was called, to do it. It had taken everything Yusuke had – more than that – to defeat the demon lord. He had depleted his own vast stores of Reiki and had been forced to turn to the Power Sphere himself, burning the Nether Power through his own body into Reiki – and even then, he had needed Kuwabara and their teammates, Kurama and Hiei, for support. Only by all four of them combining their energies into one single massive attack had they been able to take down Lord Yakumo once and for all – and no one would ever know. Stupid_ people going about their _stupid_ lives in _stupid, meaningless _circles_ . . .

And that had come only days – had it really been a few weeks in reality? – after a lethal weeklong ordeal, a damned farce called the Dark Martial Arts Tournament. He and the others had been tested, tortured, and driven far beyond any of their previous capabilities. True, they had all grown like they never would have otherwise . . . but at what cost? And why was he so edgy and ready to fight all the time?

_Chh. Maybe the answers will come with the next fight and the next enemy to overcome – _

_ Or not_.

* * *

Author's Notes: Please be sure to check my bio page for any updates, etc. Thanks!

_**Senpai**_ – There really isn't a suitable translation for the word. It is a term of address for a senior, a superior, etc. Kurama is in a grade year ahead of Touma, who would recognize Kurama as an upperclassman compared to himself and address him accordingly. Likewise, Ryo, a first-year, would properly address Anzu, a third-year. The choices of who calls whom "-kun" or "-san" reflects the same idea. "-kun" does _not_ necessarily denote friendship, just social relationship.

_**Reiki**_ – the spiritual energy of humans. This is not the same as a person's life energy, the bioelectrical energy a body requires for life functions, though there are some who can convert life energy to usable Reiki.


	2. Chapter 2 The Ties That Bind

Disclaimer – Yu Yu Hakusho, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and Ronin Warriors (aka Yoroiden: Samurai Troopers) and all related characters, events, and concepts belong to their respective owners. I get no monetary benefit from this. My benefit is the enjoyment of dealing with beloved characters. If you recognize him/her/it, I don't own him/her/it. If you don't recognize, I might still not be the owner but it'd be best to ask. I'd appreciate it, anyway. ((grin))

"The Spellfire Saga – 1: Shards"  
by DragonDancer5150

Chapter 2 – The Ties That Bind

Mutou Yugi trudged off the racetrack, headed back to the gymnasium. The Physical Fitness tests always came around too soon, and he resented having to be given special allowances for his strength and speed scores. So he had an underachieving pituitary gland. It seemed like everything else about him had to _over-_achieve to make up for it. Anatomically, his proportions were perfect and everything else functioned just fine, physiologically speaking. He was just no taller than an eight-year-old and, the doctors told him, that would never change. All the other boys his age had already done most of their growing – and towered over him as a result. "Pituitary dwarfism" – that was what the doctors called it. It had skipped his father but his paternal grandfather, Mutou Sugoroku, had the same condition. At least there was one person in the world who knew how he felt.

No, that was not entirely true. Thank the gods for Jonouchi, Honda, Anzu and Bakura. They had to look down physically, but they never _looked down_ on him, unlike most people. That was the reason for his being allowed to leave the track early. He was always allowed to leave P.E. early, so that he had the locker room to himself. He did not know if it had been an honest mistake or some administrator's idea of a joke to put him in a gym class with boys two years his junior – and just as tall and possibly more obnoxious and cruel than those his own age. It had taken the teacher almost a month to finally act, though Yugi never complained. It had been just in time, too, as another first-year had been transferred into his class just a few days prior from a later class period. It had something to do with special permission to leave school before the end of the day to get home in time to work in his family's business – a Chinese restaurant. This one especially was a fellow Yugi did not want to have to deal with. He was a big kid, strong and boisterous. He was also highly competitive, though he seemed nice enough. Still, Yugi did not want to take chances.

It was just as well that the coach let him return to the locker room early. He could also reunite with his other self that much sooner. Gym class was the single time of the day that Yugi could be found without the Millennium Puzzle. The other teachers had little to say about his strange taste in curios, but the gym coach simply would not allow him to wear it during class, making him leave it in his locker. As a consequence, his link with the spirit that resided in the Puzzle was greatly weakened by the physical distance between them, though they could still communicate. Thankfully, it had never become an issue – yet.

Something in the pit of his stomach knotted at the sounds of voices in the locker room ahead of him. He crept along several rows of lockers, praying that they were anywhere but . . .

The closer he got, the more desperate he felt. They were in the corner near his locker. He froze at words that turned his blood cold.

"Dude, check _this_ out! How much d'ya think somethin' like this'd fetch?"

"Heh, depends. S'it real gold?"

"Friggin' better be. Damn thing weighs enough."

"Lemme see that. Hey, I said give it here."

_Oh, no! But it's gotta be_ – "MY PUZZLE!" Yugi rounded the last row to see a pair of thugs with bolt-cutters who had broken into several lockers, including his – and they had the Millennium Puzzle.

From within, the spirit sensed his partner's distress. -_Aibou, what is it?_-

-_Ah . . . nothing. It's all right. I'll take care of this._- In spite of his assurance, Yugi had to wonder if he could handle these two on his own if they were serious. Something told him they were. Well, he had always believed in trying the polite approach first. He squared his shoulders and looked up at the two thugs, his gaze resolute. "Give me back my Puzzle, please."

The big goon holding it grinned. "Depends, shrimp. Is it real gold?"

"That doesn't matter. It's mine, and I would like it back, please," he repeated.

"Heh, heh – well, come and get it, then."

Yugi groaned inwardly. Why did it always come to that? He hated fighting. There had been a time when he would not have even tried. However, if he were quick enough, maybe he would not have to fight them, per se. In the short-distance dash, he did not need a handicap, and his standing jump was not too bad, either. He darted in close and leaped before he could think twice about it, trying to catch the bully's wrist if he could not reach the Puzzle itself.

The bully's laugh was brutal as he caught Yugi by the arm and threw him into the bench between himself and his accomplice. Yugi landed with a _whoof_, the breath smashed from his lungs. "Naw, I think I'll keep it. Pretty trinket like this has gotta sell for a pretty – !" He stopped as an iron-strong grip caught his wrist.

"Hey, you were asked nicely to give him back his 'trinket.' If I gotta ask for him, it won't be so nice."

"Shu-kun!" Yugi gasped, recognizing the Chinese kid from his gym class.

"You okay, Mutou-san?"

"I-I . . . yup, but my Puzzle – "

"No worries." Shu shifted his grip on the bully's wrist, using what looked like a pressure-point tactic that would steal the strength from his fingers and force him to drop the golden curio. "Now, be a good boy and give him back his pendant." The bully grunted as his hand spasmed, letting go. Yugi dove to catch the Puzzle before it hit the ground. "Now, apologize."

"What?"

"Tell him! 'Mutou-san, please forgive me for disturbing you.'" Shu adjusted his grip again, this time apparently pressing on a nerve that caused a great deal of pain.

"Aaauuugggggghhhh! Kemo, you bastard, do something!"

"Heh, looks like your buddy was the smart one and got out while the gettin' was goo – Aaaggghh!" Shu let go of the bully, who danced away with a hunting knife dripping blood, turning his back on Yugi to face Shu directly.

"You know, that was your _second_ mistake!"

"Huh?" The bully spun back on Yugi, slicing the blade through the air. Where he must have expected to hit a jugular, he only found the tallest locks of thick, red-black hair. Without missing a beat, Yugi smacked him across the kneecaps with the bolt-cutters. The bully collapsed with a shriek, at least one bone broken.

"You forgot about _me_," Yugi growled in anger. "Your first mistake was hurting my friend!"

"What's going on in here?" One of the other gym teachers rounded the corner.

Shu had one hand pressed over the other wrist, copious blood seeping up between his fingers. "Maeda-sensei, this thief has gotten into some of the student's lockers and was stealing their contents, including Mutou-san's here. Our teacher, Ono-sensei, had asked me to check on Mutou-san, who has special permission to be in the locker room early. This guy had an accomplice, but he got away."

"Shu-kun, isn't it? You've been injured. Get to the infirmary immediately. You, make sure he gets there."

"Yes, teacher." Yugi gave him a quick bow, slipped the chain of the Puzzle over his head, and snatched his shoulder bag from his open locker before leading Shu out of the room as several students and another coach went in.

-_Aibou, what happened? Are you hurt?_-

Yugi shook his head mentally, knowing that his friend could feel his bruised ribs from slamming the bench. -_It's all right, Nakama. I'll be fine. It's Shu-kun I'm worried about._- Yugi gave the spirit a quick accounting of what had happened.

The other frowned. -_Shu? Isn't he one of the ones you usually avoid?_-

-_Heh, yup . . . I have, just to be safe._- Yugi grinned, sheepish. -_But I guess I misjudged him._-

8 8 8 8 8

Shu, too, was thinking. Were he alone, he could just go into a men's room, Armor up, and let HardRock do its work. The bully had gashed a deep cut across his forearm – one might almost mistake the wound for a sloppy suicide attempt – but it was nothing his Armor could not heal for him, and probably within minutes. It had saved him from far worse injuries in the past. However, he needed some excuse –

They were most of the way there when they reached the last bathroom before the school infirmary, and Shu got an idea. He clapped both hands over his mouth, feigning nausea. He grimaced at the blood now covering his face from the hand staunching the wound. "H-hang on. I'll be right back. Stay here." He ducked through the door into the bathroom before Mutou could question him.

He was in luck – it was unoccupied. There were few classes in this hallway and so it presented a lower chance of his being discovered by a fellow student. He counted on Mutou not coming in, either, polite in allowing him to be sick in private. He went first to the sink and turned on the water, washing the blood from his face and arm. The wound was deeper than he had anticipated, severing muscle tissue and more than a few blood vessels. At least it did not quite reach bone. He sighed and left the water on. He flushed one toilet, letting Mutou think he had gotten sick, then closed the door on another stall, crouching up on the seat just in case someone came in and might spot his legs. He pulled a sphere of translucent orange crystal from his pocket, a bauble about half again the size of a shooting marble. He paused to gaze into it, watching a kanji form in its depths in response to his questing consciousness. An answering power stirred deep within his soul, energy tingling across the skin of his forehead, and the meaning of the kanji came to his lips almost as though compelled. "Justice!" he whispered into the silence. Just looking into the fierce orange depths of the mystical orb gave him a feeling both of confidence and comfort.

He let the orb fall from his fingers into his palm, closing his fist around it and concentrating. The orb disintegrated into pure energy that flowed from between his fingers to envelope his entire frame, solidifying into a suit of orange-and-white body armor – the undergear for the Armor of HardRock, Armor of the element of Earth and the Confucian virtue of Justice. Immediately, the Armor's energies began to explore him, seeking the injury for which it had been summoned, pooling healing power into the wound. Shu sighed and sank down onto his haunches to let the Armor work.

Had it really been a year already – well, and a few months – since he and the others had first gained their Armors and defeated the terrible demon Arago in his conquest on the Human World from the world beyond, what he had called the Nether World? Shu's Armor was one of a set – of five or of nine depended on one's point of view. _Sometimes it's hard to remember to count _them_ on the Good Guys' side . . . the Seasonal Armor-bearers_, Shu pondered. His was one of the five Ronin Elemental Armors, the other four being: WildFire, whose element was Fire and Confucian virtue was Righteousness; Halo, of Light or Spirit and the virtue Courtesy; Torrent, of Water and Trust; and Heavens, of Air and Wisdom.

Back then, in junior high, they had all attended the same school except for Shin of the Torrent, who was already in senior high, a year ahead of his fellows by reason of his birthday being just before the cut-off of school age. He was a childhood friend of Shu's – the two knowing each other the longest of the five by far – and technically the same age as the rest, though he attended prestigious Meiou Private Academy. Shin's mother, a humble potter and a widow, saved everything she could to afford the tuition, wanting the best for her younger child and only son. Upon the new school year, Touma of the Heavens, the group's certified genius, had easily tested highly enough to attend. Shu was unsurprised that he and Ryo of the WildFire had not scored well enough even to apply. Ryo could not have afforded the tuition anyway. Seiji of the Halo, however, had qualified, but his grandfather put the family's dojo and his only grandson's duty as an instructor and eventual headmaster above his academic studies, saying that he would have too much schoolwork to devote proper time to the dojo if he went to Meiou. Instead, Seiji, Ryo and Shu attended public Domino High. And so, the Elemental Ronins found themselves still separated by schools – but nothing could separate their spirits.

Last year, in spite of wide variables in background and personality, the five had been drawn inexplicably to one another, had gotten to know each other and became inseparable friends, a quintet brotherhood of oddballs and social outcasts. Little had they known at the time how crucial their deep ties would prove when each found himself in possession of an ancient artifact, a mystical Armor, and expected to wield these powerful weapons against a demon lord the likes of which one only read about in the folktales that gave small children nightmares. Shu shuddered with the memories. He was a sort of brawler at heart – he loved the challenge of a good fight – but the ensuing war nearly cost him and his best friends their lives time and time again. Sure, they had learned and grown like no man's business, and they managed to save the world, but at what cost? Ryo, especially, still had nightmares even over a year later, having been the unspoken leader of the team and therefore every foe's primary target. The burdens of their successes and defeats weighed most heavily on him, though the others were just as affected. Shu knew that his childhood friend, gentle peacekeeper Shin, had not been quite the same since the war, and even Shu still felt its effects in every aspect of his life so many months later, as did the others.

_And no one else will ever know or remember._

He sighed, playing idly with the roll of toilet paper next to his hip as his Armor worked. He supposed that was for the best. Too many horrible things took place during that war, things best left forgotten by the innocent bystanders who had found their lives turned upside down by the forces of darkness.

_People like little Mutou-san out there. I wonder if he was one of those drawn into the Nether World to fuel Arago's evil power_. It had been the energies of the darker side of human nature that gave rise to the demon's power, or so they had been told. True or not, hundreds of hapless souls had disappeared from the streets the day Arago made his first appearance. With his initial defeat, everyone was returned as though nothing had happened, their minds completely blank of memory. It was a wonder to him that no one ever seemed to question the contents of the missing days from their lives. When Arago mounted his second and final assault, numerous people were sucked across the dimension into his Tower of Pain, further fueling his ascension to Ruler of All. Again, with his second and final defeat, the world seemed to reset itself, with the only people retaining the memories of it all being himself and his four friends along with Nasutei Yagyu, a university research assistant specializing in ancient legends – most notably that of the Nine Ronin Armors – and Yamano Jun, a young boy drawn into their quest when his parents disappeared in the first assault and he found himself in the middle of a battle zone. The two managed to survive the war, even proving of great assistance to the five fledgling warriors several times over.

Shu sighed, dispelling those thoughts with his Armor. The wound had healed most of the way, but he needed something to show the nurse for all that blood Mutou and the coach had seen. His thoughts often went back to those days whenever he even looked into the depths of his orb, let alone donned the Armor. He and the others had thought they had put their days as Ronin Warriors behind them with the defeat of Arago. The past few weeks, however – the mess with Shikaisen – had proven them terribly wrong, and he remembered Shin confiding to him that he feared this might only portend more to come.

He stepped off the commode, flushing it to maintain his ruse for his classmate, whom he could only guess still waited outside.

Shin had asked Shu once why he thought they had retained their Armors after the defeat of Arago. Shu discovered one answer, at least for himself, little more than a month after the start of the new school year, when his special request had been granted, and he had transferred into his present gym class. It took his Armor orb no time at all to alert him to an injustice taking place daily in the locker room as a classmate of his found himself the subject of sometimes brutal tyrannizing. Shu had taken the matter to the teacher without hesitation, since no one else had the guts to do so, and had obtained a special allowance for the guy. From then on, he considered himself something of a secret protector during P.E., though he gave the painfully shy upperclassman the space he seemed to want. He could not blame Mutou either, really. Big, brawny Shu had all the trappings of a potential bully himself. He was strong, tough, built like an ox, had a rambunctious personality and, he had to admit, a rather short temper sometimes. The only trait he lacked was the bully mentality itself. Still, he could see a little guy like Mutou protecting himself by avoiding people like Shu out of habit. He sighed. It was too bad, really – the Ronin Warriors could rid the world of big evils like Arago and Shikaisen, but what did that do for the daily evils like natural human greed and posturing? Well, he would continue to do what he could as he found opportunity – like when his Armor orb warned him that a fellow student was walking into a potentially deadly cloud of darkness, and the only one he could see it sensing was Mutou. He had no doubt that the thug would have killed him if necessary. That second swing of the blade had been aimed to be lethal.

_Heh, if only for once, his extremely short height's actually what _saved_ his bacon._

The Armor sensed something else about Mutou, too – or, perhaps more specifically, about his gold pyramid thing, what Mutou-san had called a puzzle. Of course Shu could see the design of angled seams breaking up the surface of the inverted pyramid he had with him practically at all times, but a puzzle? _Don't puzzles, like, come apart if you wear one around like that?_ he wondered. _Hm, maybe he glued it together, like some of those thousand-piece picture puzzles you can lacquer and frame like a poster_. Well, whatever it was, Mutou treasured it aside from its obvious monetary value, and that in itself made it worth the wound Shu had taken to make sure he kept it.

No, there was more. Something in the back of his mind, a sensation from his Armor, told him to keep an eye on that pendant, that it was something of far more importance than one person's curio. He sensed a great power sleeping in that gold oddity, he realized. He had never thought much of it, but in that moment he was certain. He had never been so close to the item until he forced it from the thug's grip, but now he realized that part of what had been itching at him since that instant was that his Armor had touched a sense of power held deep within.

_Heh, or maybe I'm just over-thinking things_, Shu thought to himself with a silent laugh. _Wow, Seiji would never believe me if I told him I was doing something like _that. Still, he thought to remember to bring it up to Nasutei when he and the guys were over at her place next. She specialized in Japanese mythology, but she had several contacts at the university. Surely she knew an Egyptologist, and Shu felt certain that the artifact had a distinctly Egyptian flavor to it. History in any world country was not Shu's forte, but he knew enough of ancient Egyptian iconography to recognize the Eye of . . . some god's name on the face of Mutou's treasure.

_Speaking of Mutou-san, he's probably wondering if I've drowned or something. Guess I better get out so we can get to the infirmary._

8 8 8 8 8

Yugi had settled himself down against the wall across from the bathroom, sitting with his arms around his knees, the Puzzle settled comfortably between his stomach and thighs. He jumped a little when he realized he was not alone in the corridor, but it was only his other self, manifested to crouch down next to him. "I think he must be hurt more than he wanted me to know," he murmured, concern coloring his tone. "He's been in there for more than a few minutes now, I think."

The spirit grinned softly, tapping the side of his forehead. -_Not out loud,_- he reminded his partner, -_not here. The nurse or someone else might happen by and think you're talking to yourself._-

-_I _am_ talking to myself,_- Yugi joked with a mental laugh. He could see the spirit's mouth moving and hear his voice in his mind as though he were speaking vocally. Yugi wondered if he would ever get used to the idea of the telepathic link he shared with the spirit these days. Then, he saw the other stiffen in sudden alarm, eyes snapping across the hall to the bathroom door. -_What is it?_-

-_I . . . don't know. I sense a power in there. Something stirred a moment ago and just now activated._- The spirit met Yugi's questioning gaze, his own full of confusion. -_For some reason, Giant Soldier of Stone comes to mind._-

-_Really? In connection to Shu-kun?_- Yugi dug into the shoulder bag in which his school uniform was still folded. He located his deck box and pulled out his precious Duel Deck, shuffling through the cards to locate the monster card, Giant Soldier of Stone. He studied the great stone golem with the two short swords scabbarded across his shoulders. He was a third level, Rock-type Monster of the element Earth, with 1300 Attack points and 2000 Defense. This card had served them well many times in their Duels, but what did it have to do with – ?

-_Is Shu a Duelist?_-

-_I . . . I don't know,_- Yugi admitted, feeling badly to realize that he knew so little of his classmate. -_That power you sense, though – it's not the last Millennium Item, is it?_- Yugi himself did not have any special ability to sense the supernatural.

The spirit shook his head. -_It has an elemental . . . flavor to it, so to speak – I'm sorry; I really don't know how to describe it – but it's definitely not a Millennium Item. I really have no idea what it could be._-

-_Does it feel threatening to you at all?_-

The spirit considered that for a long moment. -_No . . . no, it does not, though there is a distinct taint of . . . darkness to it. It does feel old, though – ancient, in fact._-

-_As old as the Puzzle? Is there a consciousness attached, do you suppose?_-

The spirit shrugged. -_I can't tell. No, I take that back. There is not a spirit, per se, but there does seem to be a sort of semi-consciousness._-

-_Maybe it's not fully awake, like you weren't once._-

-_ . . . perhaps._-

Yugi gasped suddenly. -_Maybe it's not Shu-kun. What if someone else is in there with him? He could be in danger!_-

The spirit's ethereal hand on his arm stayed Yugi as he began to push to his feet. -_No, I think there is no one else in there, only Shu. Not only does it not feel threatening to us, but it feels friendly, even protective, of him. Perhaps he carries his own "puzzle," as it were._-

Yugi thought about that. -_Yup, I guess that's possible, but if it's not a Millennium Item . . . how many different relics or types of power can there be?_-

The spirit had no answer.

* * *

Author's Note: Please be sure to check my bio page for any updates, etc. Thanks!

_**Aibou**_ – "Partner" or "Pal." Yami's nickname for Yugi, born both of fondness and respect (per canon).

_**Nakama**_ – "Buddy." If only for my own sake, this is a nickname Yugi has given Yami (_not_ canon ^_^). His full (canon) name for Yami is "Mou Hitori no Boku" – "the Other Me" or "My Other Self" . . . but that's too long to write over and over in a fanfic, ne? Plus, it just seems to me that Yugi would respond to having a nickname by giving one in return, something personal just between the two of them. In the original Japanese, the spirit is never called Yami. That is a name he was given for the American dub. Jonouchi and the others refer to Yami as "the Other Yugi" and generally call him "Yugi" as well when addressing him, still being used to the idea of Yami as a facet of Yugi's psyche and not a separate being of his own (per canon). Yami, for his part, truly does not know one way or the other for certain, so he answers to any of the above.


	3. Chapter 3 The Eve of Destiny

Disclaimer – Yu Yu Hakusho, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and Ronin Warriors (aka Yoroiden: Samurai Troopers) and all related characters, events, and concepts belong to their respective owners. I get no monetary benefit from this. My benefit is the enjoyment of dealing with beloved characters. If you recognize him/her/it, I don't own him/her/it. If you don't recognize, I might still not be the owner but it'd be best to ask. I'd appreciate it, anyway. ((grin))

"The Spellfire Saga – 1: Shards"  
by DragonDancer5150

Chapter 3 – The Eve of Destiny

Some things transcended time, age, race, gender, cultural barriers, language barriers, even whole worlds.

Unfortunately, bureaucratic sludge seemed to be one of them.

Within the great fortress of the Spirit Realm, whose massive forward wall housed the ponderous Gate of Judgment at the end of the River Sanzu (called the River Styx by some cultures), where all earthly human souls and countless others besides came to be judged for the path on which the next leg of their journey would travel – within the hallowed halls of this timeless keep, one poor oni sentinel attempted to maintain the dignity of his thankless graveyard guardianship of a room full of musty, forgotten tomes no one really cared about anyway.

No one, that was, but a 700-year-old-plus "toddler."

"What do you mean, I have to wait until eight o'clock tomorrow morning?" Lord Koenma ranted. "This _can't_ wait!"

_With Emperor Enma's excitable son_, the oni groaned inwardly, _it never can. Thank the gods I'm not in administration. I'll take grave shift any day over crazy Admin, especially in the Spirit Realm Investigations Bureau_. That was the primary duty of the emperor's son, Lord Koenma, to supervise the section that oversaw matters of the living side of the Human Realm, among other things. "Sir, my duties are very clear. This vault is only open during business hours. I have to require a special permit from _anyone_ who seeks to enter even then, let alone in the middle of the night – even if it's you, sir."

"Argh! Fine." Koenma produced a piece of paper and a pen from under his hat. "I have the authority to write myself my own permission. Geez. There!" He handed the guard the newly created authorization form. "Now, for the last time, stand aside!" Irritated, he pushed past the guard and through the door. His assistant Jorju Saotome, a tall blue-skinned oni with a single, short white horn in the center of his forehead, gave his kinsman an apologetic glance as he skirted in after his boss.

8 8 8 8 8

"So, uh, just what exactly are we looking for, Koenma-sama?"

Lord Koenma paused a long moment, looking over the vast library of archived history. To be honest, he was not entirely sure. For some days, the feeling that something dark was gathering on the horizon had unsettled him. No, not just days, he realized. It was something that had nagged at the very back of his mind ever since that A-class youkai had tried to invade the Human Realm over a year ago. _And what a time to be without a Spirit Detective! Why couldn't Yusuke have died just a few months sooner? Ah, nuts_, he sighed to himself. _Probably just as well._ That had been a mess he did not know if his present detective team could have taken on even now, powerful and capable though the foursome had grown. And the Spirit Realm Special Defense Squad, the one assembled just for such threats, had been unable to leave Spirit Realm. Who knew that black sorcerer of Arago's – _What was his name? Lord Bad-something. Badminton? No. Bad-man? Batman? No, no. Oh! Badamon, that was it_ – could erect such a powerful ritual casting as to change the energies of the Realms' barriers and prevent anyone from leaving or entering Spirit Realm? It had been designed to force human souls to divert to the Demon Realm to fuel Arago's power base, but it also kept the Special Defense Squad from responding. All that Spirit Realm could do was watch and pray that the five kids who came out of the woodwork with mysterious Armors could do the job. He had gone to his father, Emperor Enma, asking about this and was surprised to find out that the present war was a continuation of the youkai's attempt on the Human Realm from a thousand years ago – and that the Armors had originally been a part of his evil being.

As if that were not enough, the four Armors worn by the "Demon Generals" who once served the youkai lord were from the same source and similarly endowed with virtues and natural energies. Unlike the five-piece set, however, which harnessed the energies of the Elements of Creation bridled by the five virtues of Confucius, these four drew their power from the Seasons of Nature, tempered by the four samurai virtues of the Bushido Code: Loyalty, which was Spring, Endurance/Summer, Obedience/Autumn, and Filial Piety/Winter. Perhaps it had been those very warrior virtues that Arago successfully played upon when he seduced the four humans possessing them – over four hundred years ago. It seemed that living in the Demon Realm for so long, coupled with the powers of their Armors, had agreed with them well. Not one of them had aged in those centuries. Late in the war against the powerful youkai, the four Seasonals' eyes were opened at last to the treacherous evil to whom they had allied themselves, and they switched sides to fight their former master alongside their Elemental counterparts.

Koenma shook his head with a sigh as he rounded a corner on a row of bookcases and let his eyes wander over the scores of tome spines. Spirit Realm field agents had recently begun reporting in with findings of a very strange energy reading. At first glance, it registered as Yoki, but the researchers who had cultured it to determine the species of youkai made an astonishing discovery. The waveform signature of the readings had only one possible match – the Nine Ronin Armors. However, all Nine were accounted for. Was it possible that a tenth Armor existed?

No, Koenma had learned, it was not. Exactly Nine Armors had been fashioned from the one source – Arago's armor, which had been left behind upon the soul's banishment back to Demon Realm at his defeat one thousand years ago. Emperor Enma himself had assured Koenma of this, as the one who had defeated the youkai and performed the ritual to break up the One armor and diffuse its power had been a servant of Enma's at one time. The emperor had been certain beyond doubt when he told his son that the energy signature of this entity could not possibly be related to the legacy of his retired servant.

Lord Koenma, however, could not be so sure. The young prince was well aware of the Elementals' misadventures in the United States, chasing after one of their number who had been lured into a trap and captured by an evil youkai there in America, a magic-user calling himself Shikaisen. _I need more Spirit Detectives. _He groaned inwardly._ On second thought . . . no, I don't._ No sooner had the last boy's flight taken off but that the first energy readings appeared, its source eluding field agents. About a week ago, with the young samurais' return home, the energies had disappeared – until tonight.

A middle-aged man's soul had arrived at the Gate of Judgment barely an hour ago. The ferry girl Ayame had brought him. He had been the patriarch of an ancient and influential family, the Sohma clan, apparently assassinated by one of the younger men positioned to assume his status in the family upon his death. It seemed a cliché-enough occurrence and, normally, Lord Koenma only personally involved himself in the situation of a human soul's judgment in very special cases, but the man's story – and trusted Ayame's confirmation – had caught the young ruler's attention.

Koenma finally relocated the volumes he sought. He had exhausted them of details and possible hidden clues over a year ago, but he felt sure that there was a piece of the puzzle that he had missed, the one puzzle piece that would snap the whole picture into sudden, clear focus.

8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8

_The Puzzle! It has to be._

_ How many times over history has that golden box been pilfered from this place? How many people have tried to solve that Puzzle? As many have died as have dared to try, or so they say. And, mysteriously, the box disappears, returning here to await the one truly destined to solve it._

_ "Now go! Show me where it's safe to step!"_

_ -growl- I look back over my shoulder at my "guide" who now holds a gun to me. "Look, just . . . don't let your _guard_ down."_

_ My gaze drops for a moment to the carven slabs beneath my feet – five panels set along a bridge of stone spanning a black void. The likeness of an imaginative monster is engraved into the surface of each slab, one more terrible than the last. My mind goes back to the epitaph of hieroglyphics on the wall outside of this room. "The Ka sealed in the stone slabs shall judge you. The cowardly will be eaten by demons. The courageous will be shown the way." What can that mean?_

_ I stand on the border between the fourth and fifth slabs. A few more steps . . . A few more steps and I'll conquer the Shadow Games!_

_**KA-BANG!**_

_ The crack of a gun shatters the silence, the echo ricocheting off the ageless walls into the endless blackness above and below. With it, agony explodes through the top of my left shoulder. The force of the shot throws me off my feet, and I am falling. I manage to catch the edge of the bridge with my good hand as the traitorous bastard passes me overhead._

_ "See you in hell." His chuckling turns almost maniacal. "Heh, heh . . . the gold!" _

_I try to pull myself up but, with the wound, I have not the strength._

_There is a rumbling. An earthquake?_

_ "Wh-what . . . ? What's going on?"_

_I hear terror in his voice. I cannot see, but I listen as his protest degrades instantly into wild shrieks as the snarl of an unknown horror drowns him out. I watch in sick terror as his forgotten torch throws shadows on the wall behind me, revealing a monster risen from the top surface of the bridge itself to grab and noisily devour the traitor._

**The cowardly will be eaten by demons . . . **

_As suddenly as it took form, the demon vanishes, its punishing task complete._

. . . I made it so far . . .

_My fingers slip another fraction of an inch, my hand's strength slowly failing._

Is this the end . . . ?

_What is this? Someone is standing over me on the bridge. The traitor? No, can't be – I saw him eaten. Well, indirectly._

**The courageous will be shown the way . . .**

_A ghost! It must be! There is no color to him but shades of silver-grey even in the yellow torchlight, and I can almost see through his cloak billowing on a breeze that does not exist in this world, not in the still, musty air of the ancient tomb. He kneels, reaching out a hand to me, thick, almost star-shaped hair framing his head, and I can see his face._

**"I've been waiting . . . Siamun . . . "**

8 8 8 8 8

He awoke with a gasp, his struggle to pull back up onto the bridge instead toppling him the rest of the way off of . . . of something.

"Grandpa?"

Mutou Sugoroku lay for a moment in the darkness where he had fallen. He was still trying to get his bearings when a door opened, bright light blasting his eyes without warning.

"Grandpa! Are you all right?"

A backlit silhouette resolved itself out of the brightness – a kneeling human form with thick, fluffy hair, vaguely star-shaped. "Y-you again? Who _are_ you?"

"Huh?"

"Yugi?" a woman's voice called. "What's going on?"

"Um . . . I don't know, Mom. Hang on."

The kneeling figure had turned over his shoulder to call out the door, and the light fell partially across his face. "Y-yugi . . . ?" Sugoroku murmured as recognition returned to him by slow degrees.

"Are you okay, Grandpa?" Yugi fussed. "You were moaning in your sleep. It sounded terrible! I could hear you all the way from _my_ room."

"I-I . . . yes. I'm all right, Yugi. Thank you." He groaned when Yugi helped him to sit up. As his eyes adjusted, he recognized his bedroom, the light of the hall obscured a moment later as his daughter-in-law appeared in the doorway.

"Dad?"

"Heh, heh . . . it's all right, Michiko. I guess I was having a bad dream, and Yugi heard me fall out of bed." _But why that one? Why now? It's been ages since I last dreamed that –_

"Dad! That's the third time this month. I keep telling you – no more sweets before bed! And you, young man – I thought you were in bed, too."

"Well, I-I was," Yugi protested, "but I couldn't sleep. The Battle City Duel Monsters Tournament finally starts tomorrow!"

Michiko sighed in exasperation over her son's obsession with games. "He's _your_ grandson. He certainly didn't get it from _my_ side of the family," she groused at her father-in-law, not unkindly. "All right. How about I make a pot of tea for all of us?" She started back out the door, then paused. "And Yugi?"

"Yes, Mom?"

"_How_ many times have I told you _not_ to sleep with that silly puzzle on?"

"Huh? Oh! . . . oops . . . "

8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8

A few hours later, Michiko's tea had settled the minds and hearts of the household's members, except for one. In Yugi's room, a second occupant sat at the desk, staring out the slanted window into the star-filled sky. He shifted in the chair and the shaped moonlight from the window on the floor behind him caught his attention. A deep sigh escaped him as he noted that the desk and the chair each cast a shadow . . . but _he_ did not. It was a painful reminder.

Movement out of the corner of his eye snapped the spirit's attention back outside, but he forced himself to relax at the sight of a stray dog on the street below. He allowed a low chuckle at himself for his own jumpiness, but he knew that it was not unfounded.

Someone new was after the Millennium Puzzle. No, more like was after _him_ personally, the spirit himself – and this person seemed to have an idea of his true identity. The attacker's words, speaking through his mind-controlled agent – when the Puzzle had been stolen almost two weeks ago, forcing Yugi to duel for it back – rang now in his ears here in the dark silence. "Come out, come out! If you are who I think you are . . . !"

_Who is it that you think I am?_

_I . . . don't even know my own name . . . _

_Do I have one?_

He did not remember a previous home. He did not remember friends outside of Yugi's. He could not remember his family. Surely he had had one somewhere along the line, even if he were only a ghost now. He could not even bring to mind his own name. He had answered to "Yugi" or "the Other Yugi/Other Me" for so long, he thought maybe it had just gotten lost somewhere before he was fully awake . . . but no, he felt in his heart that it was something deeper. He did not have a true name of his own, or if he did it had been stolen from him.

_What is my name? Do I have one?_

_Why can't I remember!_

The spirit forced his hands to unclench, fearing to wake Yugi if he were too restless. He knew why he could not remember, but he did not know "why." He had recently learned that his memory had been sealed away, but for what purpose he could not fathom.

The spirit sat back in the chair with his fingers laced behind his head. He still had not told Yugi why he wanted to participate in this tournament – nor, he realized, had Yugi asked. _Surely, he must wonder_. He heaved a deep sigh, sitting forward with his face in his hands, elbows propped on the desk, as he thought, _He deserves to know. Tomorrow, before we head to the plaza, I will tell him._

For a long moment, the spirit did not move, his face still in his hands. He felt empty, mentally exhausted from his questioning. He had been sitting here, as he found himself doing so often, since just after Yugi had fallen asleep hours ago. Like a hamster in an exercise wheel, he only ran himself in circles in his search for answers alone in the dark like this.

He longed for light, a clarifying light that would allow him to rest once in a while, away from the darkness. It seemed like, even when he was not Dueling, he struggled in a fight of another kind, a battle with himself. He needed something to distract him from the questions and the doubts that plagued him, the fears that pressed at him in the quiet darkness when he did not have some immediate challenge to occupy him.

He glanced over at the alarm clock on the shelf of the bed's headboard. It was three in the morning. He wished that he could go for a walk or something, but he did not have the ability to remove his energies too far from the Puzzle, which currently rested in the bed with Yugi. Sleeping with the rope or chain of the Puzzle around his neck was a habit Yugi had developed ages ago, but now it was even more important, as it was the only way Yugi could think of to ensure that no one could steal it from him while he slept. For a brief moment, the spirit considered borrowing Yugi's body while his mind and soul continued to sleep, but he knew that doing so would rob his _aibou_ of the physical restoration that the body gained in this state. All he could do was bide his time. The morning would dawn soon enough.

8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8

Crouched on the branches of a tree not far away, a small figure in black kept a vigil of his own. He knelt with his natural eyes closed while a third in the center of his forehead observed the spirit, who looked so much like his host, struggle through his private battle. This was not the first time he had watched the spirit run himself in mental circles while his host slept. He had been forced to remove himself completely from sight and rely on his supernatural abilities to keep an eye on the spirit, having almost been spotted. He was glad for the dog that rummaged through the fallen leaves below, as its presence distracted the spirit long enough for him to withdraw undetected. He could not help but wonder what kept the human soul bound to this world, why a ferry girl had not come for him when he died, but instead he was allowed to share the body of another. _Hn. Wonder if any of Koenma's lackeys have even noticed him yet. They've had almost a year_. It had something to do with the mystical artifact the living human carried with him at all times. Its energies tainted those of the spirit so that he did not register solely as human himself anymore but mixed with something else entirely.

Hiei shook his head, stumped as to the answer to _that_ riddle. He knew of only three kinds of energy: Reiki, the living energy of humans and, to far lesser extent, the animals and even plants of the Human Realm; Yoki, the matching energy of the youkai of Demon Realm; and, well, whatever it was called that beings of the Spirit Realm possessed. Ferry girls like Botan registered as a form of Reiki but others, like Lord Koenma, resonated of the substance of Spirit Realm itself. _So what is this fourth signature type?_ Hiei wondered.

So far, he had located four such items. _No, six_, he corrected himself. Two had made a brief appearance in the city months ago. That had been when he was still seeking his twin sister and therefore following any strange energy signatures he came across. He had already dismissed the boy with the inverted-triangle weight as having anything to do with his missing twin, but the stranger who seemed to be in practiced control of the mysterious items that he carried had peaked Hiei's interest for a time. Then there was the other boy this one's age who possessed two items as well, though incredibly he seemed to be unaware of having one of them. Like this boy's Puzzle, however, the Item he was aware of possessing had a spirit attached to it, an evil soul that used his host rather than working with him. Now there was this human woman whose necklace contained a segment that resonated of the same material and energy signature as the other pieces. Hiei had been watching from the shadows then too when the spirit, possessing the boy's body, had visited the woman and learned of some destiny of his, and of yet another Item of dark power.

_Whatever is going on, I'd better keep a closer eye on these people_, the youkai mused.

He sighed and sat back, opening his own red-irised eyes as the purple Jagan closed. The spirit had just retired back into his golden home. There would be nothing new learned this night. _But tomorrow might prove interesting. That tournament . ._ .

He had just begun to tie his bandana back in place, hiding his mystical third eye, when the hairs on the back of his neck rose up suddenly. Whipping his sword from its scabbard, he spun on his heel, deftly maintaining his balance on the slender tree limb as his Jagan snapped open again to scan his surroundings. He could not find anything no matter what senses he employed, but his perception in that first instant was unmistakable.

Something had been spying on _him_.

Koenma had already warned him and his fellows that something with unknown mystical power was out there, had been active intermittently for two weeks before disappearing again a week ago. Hiei could not help but wonder if the cloaking had anything to do with this tournament thing that was to commence in the morning. After all, had not the disappearance of the unknown power coincided with the announcement of the tournament?

Again, there was nothing more to be learned here, and Hiei decided it best to relocate before his own stalker decided to show up again. He vanished.

8 8 8 8 8

A figure manifested from the shadow of the next tree, looking up to where the youkai swordsman had been standing. _Hm, you can run . . . but even you cannot hide from a shadow_. The figure turned to the window of the house in the distance, the house of the spirit of the Millennium Puzzle. _And as far as you are concerned,"Pharaoh" . . . Will you find what you seek? And are you truly prepared, if it should come looking for you?_

* * *

Author's Notes: Please be sure to check my bio page for any updates, etc. Thanks!

Heya! OK, I've given some background on two of the three titles from the points of view of at least one of those involved, each. The scene of Yami contemplating alone in the room is actually a condensation of a much longer writing. Originally, that plus the scene after with Hiei and "the other" were the next chapter but, while I'm still very proud of it and the information is pretty necessary, what I have done is I have posted that as a separate fic called "Reflection: Restless Night." It has its own pace, which is great, but it didn't match the flow of the rest of the story. The way it's written, it can actually stand on its own anyway – so it is doing so. Also, some of Yugi and Yami's conversation in the next chapter might make a little more sense if you're not already familiar with the Japanese version of the anime or with the manga. At any rate, please, please – go check it out! You won't be disappointed! Please tell me what you think! -big grin-

_**Oni**_ – the Japanese equivalent of an ogre. I get the impression that oni and youkai are not the same types of creatures, nor is one a sub-set of the other, so I treat them separately. Oni may or may not be native to the Spirit Realm but there are quite a few that work in Admin under Koenma and apparently they are on crews which tend the River Sanzu in some places, such as at the dam (which there seems to be one as seen in the movie "Bonds of Fire," released in the States under the name "Poltergeist Report," when the entire Spirit Realm is engulfed and drowned in water.)

_**Youkai**_ – one of the countless supernatural denizens of the Demon Realm, as diverse in appearance, ability, and skill/energy level as they are numerous. A youkai's mystic energy is called Yoki. Compare to Reiki (footnote, Chapter 1).

_**Ferry Girl**_ – a "species" of beings native to the Spirit Realm. They have many responsibilities, not the least of which is to guide the souls of departed humans along the River Sanzu (equates to the River Styx in Greco-Roman mythology) and to the Gate of Judgment. To my knowledge, they are all female and are the only beings with the ability to cross the barriers of the Realms without some kind of help or waiting for the random anomalies which occur naturally and infrequently (though I'm guessing they are not rare occurrences - that has to be how Hiei and his partner got to the Human Realm, as no ferry girl would have agreed to take them. Jyaki would have gotten there the same way).


	4. Chapter 4 Duel Start

Author's Note – Hi, hi! Heh, just a quick comment before anyone stumbles too hard when it comes up. Yes, I spelled "Megallica" right. -snicker- In Yu Yu Hakusho, Kuwabara is a big fan of an American heavy metal band called "Megallica" and even goes to a live concert of theirs, though that has not happened yet per my timeline. The name, of course, has been changed to protect the innocent – Togashi-sensei, that is!

Disclaimer – Yu Yu Hakusho, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and Ronin Warriors (aka Yoroiden: Samurai Troopers) and all related characters, events, and concepts belong to their respective owners. I get no monetary benefit from this. My benefit is the enjoyment of dealing with beloved characters. If you recognize him/her/it, I don't own him/her/it. If you don't recognize, I might still not be the owner but it'd be best to ask. I'd appreciate it, anyway. ((grin))

"The Spellfire Saga – 1: Shards"  
by DragonDancer5150

Chapter 4 – Duel Start

_"Now go! Show me where it's safe to step!"_

KA-BANG!

_The cowardly will be eaten by demons . . ._

Is this the end . . . ?

_The courageous will be shown the way . . ._

_"I've been waiting . . . Siamun . . . "_

"_Y-you_ . . . !" Sugoroku sat up in bed, drenched in sweat. Again, it took him a long moment to regain his bearings. This time, he recognized his bedroom more readily, lit by the morning sun creeping in around his curtains. _Heh, at least I didn't fall out of bed again. Don't need to scare Michiko or Yugi a second time in one night._

_Yugi . . . !_

Was it his imagination playing tricks on him now, three decades later . . . or had that spirit who saved him really looked like a slightly older version of his own present-day grandson?

_Eh, maybe I'm just getting senile in my old age_, he chided himself as he climbed out of bed. He had a game store to open. With the tournament today, he figured he should have his shop open for potential customers . . . though what he really wanted was to go watch the dueling himself. He passed his grandson's closed door on the way downstairs. _Awfully quiet in there_, he mused. He knew Yugi had to be out of bed by now – if he had gotten any sleep at all. _Probably busy finalizing his Deck for the tournament._

The smell of breakfast that passed his nose just then drove away all thoughts of gaming for the moment, and Sugoroku hurried downstairs.

8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8

_"I've been waiting . . . Siamun . . . "_

"Aaahhhhh!" Kuwabara Kazuma fell out of bed trying to pull himself back up onto the dream-bridge, barely missing his cat Eikichi as she scrambled to get out of his way. He untangled himself from his sheets with a muttered curse. That was the second time he had dreamed that crazy nightmare since hitting the sack last night! _And why was Mutou dressed up like some dead old ghost-lord, anyway?_

"Oh, yeah! Mutou! Huh. I wonder if he'll be there today."

Kuwabara dressed in record time, hoping he had not missed the opening ceremony. That game tournament started today, and he had heard that they would be using some new portable holographic technology that brought the monsters to life. _Heehee – I gotta see this! It's gonna be so cool!_ "Hey, Eikichi, you seen my Megallica shirt?"

"Mrowr?"

Kuwabara was not a big card player himself – he preferred arcade games – but who in their right mind had _not_ followed the big Duelist Kingdom tournament two months ago? And both the champion and runner up just happened to live right here in Domino – attended his very own high school, too. That tournament had also utilized Kaiba Corp. simulator technology, but then it had been restricted to stationary glass boxes. Now, there were going to be some big, new-fangled forearm-mounted card platforms that shot little holographic projectors out to each side of the duelist and could create the three-dimensional images anywhere the gamer wanted to play. At least, that was the rumor. The new "Duel Disks" had been available for the past week, ever since the tournament's announcement, and anyone who wanted to enter could buy one. Players who ranked at Level 5 or higher got theirs for free. However, no one knew quite how they worked because the units would not be activated by Kaiba Corp. until this morning. Kuwabara had a betting pool going with his buddies Kirishima, Okubo, and Sawamura as to who would win this time around. Kuwabara always tended to root for the little guy, personally – though he supposed that Mutou Yugi could not rightfully be considered a "little guy" in terms of Duel Monsters, not from the way he had swept the last tournament. While he had to admit that he had never actually spoken to the shy, diminutive third-year student at school, Kuwabara could not believe how different the guy seemed when he gamed. _Guess everyone's more confident when he's in his own element. Heh, kinda like Urameshi_.

His best friend and one-time rival, Urameshi Yusuke, had no more direction in his life than Kuwabara did – but get him in a fighting ring and the guy was unstoppable. The Human Realm did not know it, but he had proven it to all of Demon Realm when he beat Toguro the Younger in the final fight of the final round of the Dark Martial Arts Tournament several weeks ago. _Heh, get little Mutou in a tournament like _that_,__ and he'd a got creamed for sure!_

Kuwabara paused at that, completely forgetting his playful tug-of-war with Eikichi over his sock. _Keh . . . we _all_ nearly got creamed._ He shuddered even now as he remembered how many times he and the others were almost killed throughout the lethal week-long competition of brutal fights. It had taken him forever to get out of his head the images of invisible bombs tearing into Kurama, or the massive black energy dragon ripping through the stadium when Hiei was forced to pull out his last resort. He himself had not been quick to recover from his wounds suffered at the hands of Toguro's psychopathic horror of an older brother, and what of the stadium that Hiei had left standing was no longer by the time Yusuke was finished. And that had just been the last day. That was to say nothing of what they had gone through just to get to that point.

_Grrrr . . . it's not like we had a choice, either. We weren't strong enough then to have kept the Toguros from killin' us all outright if we refused to participate in that stupid tournament in the first place. The only way to survive was to win. We couldn't lose even once! _And it had gotten even more difficult when they realized the girls were there, having to try to make sure that they did not come under attack as well. When Yusuke and Kuwabara had disappeared without explanation, his older sister Kuwabara Shizuru, and Yusuke's girlfriend Yukimura Keiko and mother Urameshi Atsuko had all ganged up on Botan, demanding where their brother/boyfriend/son were. _Hm, I wonder what Kurama told _his_ mom that she didn't show up, too_. By the next day, Kuwabara's own dear, sweet Yukina had also arrived.

_I wonder if she'll ever find her brother_, Kuwabara mused. She had shown up to the competition looking for her lost twin, from whom she had been separated at birth. All she knew of him was that he was a great swordsman, and she thought surely that if he were anywhere, he might be there. Since then, Koenma had obtained special permission for her to live in the Human Realm, even though she was a youkai. She had already exhausted the Demon Realm looking for him, so he had to be here. She was living with Master Genkai, who maintained a secluded shrine and martial training facility in the mountains not far from here. Genkai was also Yusuke's mentor in the maximal use of his Reiki.

Kuwabara's hand clenched in determination around the forgotten sock, and he did not hear Eikichi's complaint. _Wherever he is, whoever he is, Kuwabara The Man will help Yukina-san find her brother if we gotta search the whole world over to do it!_

_I wonder if Yukina-san would be interested in going to Egypt._

Kuwabara stiffened in surprise. Where in the world had _that_ come from? He wanted to show her America and maybe travel parts of Europe with her, but he had never really been interested in Africa at all. _Hm . . . oh, well – Ouch! _"Eikichi! Whaddya do that for?"

"Probably because you had a hold of her other paw gripped in that big hamfist of yours, doofus." Shizuru stood leaning on the doorjamb, arms crossed with a lit cigarette hanging from between the fingers of one hand. "What are you muttering about, anyway?"

"Huh?" Kuwabara glanced down at his orange-and-white tabby, who only met his eye with a sullen glare, grooming herself. "Oh. Heh, sorry, Eikichi." He picked her up to love on her, and she purred readily in his arms.

"By the way, little bro, you've got a visitor." Shizuru shifted, and a petite girl peeked around her into the room.

Big, expressive red eyes shone out of an angelic face. "Good morning, Kazuma-san. Please forgive me for intruding." The girl gave a polite bow to accompany the formality.

"YUKINA-SAN!" Kuwabara leaped to his feet in excitement, the cat once again forgotten. He regained his cool before taking her hand. "Yukina-san, my heart, it is never an intrusion when True Love comes knocking - "

Shizuru gave him a "knock" over the top of the head. "Oh, give it a rest, Romeo."

Kuwabara shot her a look, but decided to drop it. For Yukina, he could be man enough to rise above a petty insult. "So what has lured the flower out of the mountains?"

"Well, Master Genkai thought I should get out more, so she gave me a bus ticket to come visit you and watch a game competition that starts today. She promised it would not be like the last tournament . . . " Her voice trailed off as the memory haunted her ruby eyes for a moment, but then she brushed it aside. "She even gave me a new outfit to wear. Do you like it, Kazuma-san?" She twirled once.

Kuwabara nodded with great enthusiasm. He had never seen her in anything but her people's customary powder-blue kimono. Today, she wore black capri pants over leather sandals, a red halter and short-cropped white sweater with three-quarter sleeves. Her soft, mint-green hair had been gathered into a thick braid from the nape of her neck. He thought she was certainly the cutest thing on earth. It was hard to remember sometimes that she was not human, in spite of the fact that she barely reached his ribcage in height. _Eh, height ain't everything, after all. 'Sides, look at Mutou. He's no taller than she is, an' I _know_ he's human._

_Oh, yeah – Mutou! The tournament!_

"Hey, Yukina-san, we better hurry if we're gonna catch the start of the tournament. And, naw, it's not gonna be anything like the last one. This one's just a game – but there's gonna be big images of the monsters off'a cards that'll be made into real images, but don't worry 'cuz they're not real monsters – "

"Whoa, Kazuma, take a breath!" Shizuru admonished. "You'll pass out from excitement before you ever get there. Besides, tournament doesn't start for another hour or so, and Mom's got breakfast ready. Hey, Yukina-chan, have you eaten yet this morning?"

8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8

In another city, dawn had broken not so long before as well. Lady Kayura stood at a balcony of the great castle that dominated the so-called "City of Desire." She had long considered changing its name, but it was too well known to attempt to get people to start calling it anything else.

The youja were out in force, several battalions in practice formations if not already on duty somewhere around the castle or the greater city limits. Anubisu was running an elite group through a rigorous training session in one of the courtyards below. In her hand, the Shakujo staff thrummed in response to the powers of the Armors in play at the moment. Anubisu of the Glacier wore only his sub-Armor, but the powerful, mystical staff still registered the activity of the Armor of Winter.

Three of the four Seasonal Armors were in use just then. Shuten of Verdance and Naaza of the Harvest rode in full battle Armors, those of Spring and Autumn, at the head of a small group of hand-picked youja on their mission to the neighboring land in an attempt to form an alliance against the ever-present dangers of this realm. They had been at war with the last ruler, but he had just been de-throned by a long-needed coup. Lady Kayura could only hope this new lord proved more cooperative than the last. The ill-named City of Desire could use all the allies she could muster.

"Do you think they will be able to negotiate a treaty with the new lord?" Kayura asked with a sigh, not expecting much.

Beside her, Rajura of AridSand shrugged, the fabrics of his kimono whispering against one another with the motion. "If anyone can accomplish it, it is Shuten." The scholar and arguably most patient among the four Ronin Seasonal Warriors, Shuten was best equipped to handle diplomatic niceties. Naaza was along as captain of the escort because Lady Kayura felt it best to present as strong a front as possible without seeming to threaten the new lord, hence the smaller-than-customary number in the entourage.

8 8 8 8 8

Rajura looked down sidelong at the Lady of the City of Desire. Like the quartet of former warlords of the powerful youkai Arago who had built this city, Kayura was a human who had been born some four hundred years ago, kidnapped from her people because of her lineage and high potential of power she could wield. Like them, too, she did not age so long as she continued to make her home here in this realm. She was every bit as intelligent, skilled and capable as her four generals, but there were times, like now when weary concern shaded her delicate face, that it was difficult to see the woman through the physical appearance of the 14-year-old girl, her body never having been allowed to "grow up" properly. She had curves in all the right places, but her face still retained much of the youthfulness of her apparent age. It was the reason she herself rarely left the castle on any kind of diplomatic errands, leaving them to her generals and especially Shuten.

Rajura laid a gentle hand on her arm. "Lady Kayura, come inside. We'll hear from Shuten and Naaza soon enough. AridSand will tell me." He gripped his Armor orb in his other hand.

Without a word, Kayura nodded and allowed herself to be led from the balcony.

8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8

"There. Our Deck is finished." In control of the body, the spirit stood from Yugi's desk, their Dueling Deck in hand. They owned far more than the forty cards a deck in play was allowed to have, and it was a process before each tournament to decide which ones to utilize _this_ time around. Of course, the Deck retained a number of their staples: Kuriboh, Mirrorforce, Polymerization, Feral Imp, De-Spell, just to name a few – and as always, Dark Magician topped the stack.

Yugi, as a spirit himself for the moment, had taught himself a new trick that morning while they worked together to fine-tune their Deck. Much as he had seen the spirit learn to materialize separately outside of the body and Puzzle over the past few weeks, Yugi learned that he, too, could be present manifestly outside of his soul room even when the spirit was in full control. He decided that it was really strange to be able to stand there and stare at his own body moving without him. Still, he thought it must be nice for his other self to be able to touch and physically interact with the world around him once in a while. He hoped the spirit had enjoyed his time out and about with Anzu last weekend.

However, he frowned at the tone of satisfaction in the spirit's comment and admonished, -_Careful – the game isn't over yet!_-

The spirit shrugged with a grin, teasing. "Hm, I was wondering if perhaps I should add some more magic cards." Then he sighed, turning serious. He did not immediately meet his partner's eye, gaze locked on the Deck in his hand, as he confessed, "Yugi, there is something that I must tell you before the battle begins. The Battle City Tournament that we are about to enter is a personal quest for me, but I won't be able to win this without _you_." At that, he did turn fully to meet Yugi's eye, holding the cards out between them. "I trust this Deck we have built together. I hope that you will keep that in mind."

8 8 8 8 8

The spirit watched his friend, his partner, closely, waiting for the questions – even, to a small extent, fearing them.

Yugi gazed back for a brief moment before nodding with a grin. -_Of course, I will. Hey, you stood by me at Duelist Kingdom and helped me rescue my Grandpa. Now it's my turn to stand by you!_-

The spirit studied him for a long moment. "I have to say that I'm . . . a little surprised. You're, ah, not asking . . . for any details – ?"

Yugi shook his head, his expression content. -_It's enough to know that you're not Dueling for the rare cards but for a vital reason. I won't ask until you're ready to tell me first_.- He placed his hand over the spirit's, the Duel Deck between their palms. -_I trust you, my other self, and this Deck we've made together_.-

The spirit stared back at him in shock, his heart full. Finally, a smile of gratitude came to his face. "Aibou . . . "

8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8

"Shu-Big-Brother!"

Nasuti watched Shu to turn with a grin at the enthusiasm. A nine-year-old boy raced across the street to him from her red jeep at the curb.

"Hey, Jun-chan! How's it goin'?" With a grin, Shu caught the boy and swung him up over his head before setting him on his feet again.

Beside him, Seiji smiled as she and Ryo climbed out of the jeep after the boy. "Glad you could make it."

Ryo laughed. "Wouldn't miss it. So your grandfather gave you the day off after all, huh?"

Seiji grimaced. "We worked out an arrangement, yes."

"Where's Touma?" Nasutei wanted to know.

Shin chuckled. "Probably not even out of bed yet. I wouldn't expect to see him here before noon."

Nasutei nodded. Touma had a bad habit of staying up into the wee hours of the morning either reading or doing who-knew-what, but a condition of hypotension did not help him, either. She wondered why his Armor had never healed him of that. Nothing in her research had ever indicated a reason.

"Ah! Kajiki Ryouta-san's here!" Shin commented in some excitement. "I was hoping he would be."

"Who?"

"Kajiki-san, top-ranking ocean duelist. He took third place in the last national championship."

Ryo snickered. "Looks like Torrent's going fan-boy on us."

"Wha – ? I am not," Shin argued.

"That's okay. Shu-Big-Brother's gonna duel circles around him, aren't you?" Jun asserted.

"Heh, a mountain doesn't back down from an overgrown mud puddle."

Shin gave his childhood friend a big grin, teasing. "I don't know, Shu. Sand on the beach is nothing but a mountain that the ocean has worn away at over time."

8 8 8 8 8

Meanwhile, Kajiki had apparently overheard the conversation; Shin watched him turn and venture over to them. "Greetings, friends! Are you all here for the tournament as well? Heh, sounds like _someone_ needs a lesson in proper respect for the power of the sea!" He gave Shu a mock-frown as he crossed his arms and gazed at him, his eyes dancing in mirth.

"Yeah, I'll take ya on, fishy." Shu gave him a thumbs-up. "Just wait till the fireworks go off. I'll bring an avalanche down on your head! Hah! You won't know what hit ya!"

Kajiki grinned back. "Big words. We'll see if your pebbles manage to make any real waves." He turned then to Shin. "Are you an ocean duelist as well? Where is your Duel Disk?"

Shin shrugged, his expression sheepish. "Oh, no, I don't much play the game myself. We're here with our friend, Shu."

"Ah, well, it sounds like you have a proper respect for the sea. Perhaps you can impart some of that on your friend here." Kajiki laughed.

"Yeah, he should know," Jun put in. "Shin-Big-Brother is of the Mouri clan of Hagi in Yamaguchi!"

That got Kajiki's attention. "Really? _The_ Mouri clan, that Mouri Motonari was from? The family whose duty for generations has been the protection of the Hagi Sea?"

Shin flushed with a touch of humility. "Um, yes, the same. He's an ancestor of mine." At the questioning looks from his friends, he explained, "Mouri Motonari was a famous naval general in Southern Japan."

"So," Kajiki had to ask, "is it true that a rite of manhood for your family is to dive into the Hagi Sea?"

"Yes, it is." Shin was surprised by Kajiki's knowledge of his family.

"Have you done it? How deep did you get?"

In spite of his natural modesty, Shin could not help the pride that shaded his voice. "All the way to the bottom, and without an air tank! Or any other help," he added for his companions' sakes, knowing they would assume he had used his Armor.

"Wow! Even I have never accomplished such a feat. Perhaps we can get together sometime? How long will you be in town?"

"I live here in Domino. Have you ever been surfing? There's a great surfing beach not far from here."

"Flirting with the locals, Kajiki?" a rather nasty voice taunted from behind them.

8 8 8 8 8

Shu curled a lip at has-been duelist, Dinosaur Ryuzaki, who would have continued past them without a second thought until, Shu guessed, he got a better look at Nasutei. Before he could comment further, however, a heavy purse to the back of the head shut him up. "Don't you even _start_, dino-boy! Leave her alone." Shu gaped, then _grinned_, as he recognized well-known duelist, Kujaku Mai.

"Mai!" Ryuzaki cried, whirling with a hand clapped to the back of his head. "Why you - !"

"Not in front of the ladies!" Kajiki admonished him.

"_She's_ no lady!" Ryuzaki protested.

Mai only tossed her purse back over her shoulder and gave Kajiki a wink. Then, she seemed to notice Shu's Duel Disk. "Ooh, fresh meat. Haven't seen you around. You new?"

"Heh, yeah – but just you wait. I got an Earth deck that'll - "

"Shu!" Seiji admonished. He did not say more, but he did not have to.

Shu's Armor orb thrummed in his pocket, warning not to get too proud. "Uh, yeah. Well, anyway, we'll see how it goes, right?" Shu offered.

"Right. Catch ya later – if you make it past your first duel, newbie." Ryuzaki waved over his shoulder as he trotted off to join his buddy, Insector Haga, who had just rounded a corner into the plaza.

"Ugh, whatever," Mai huffed after him with a roll of her eyes. Then, she spotted someone down the street. "Ooh, gotta run. Good luck!" She hurried off in another direction, waving for Mutou Yugi's attention as he arrived to the plaza across the way from them. Kajiki noticed Mutou as well, gave the Ronins a quick parting bow, and followed Mai.

Fireworks exploded over the city, and duelists and onlookers alike cheered. Battle City had begun.

* * *

Author's Note: Please be sure to check my bio page for any updates, etc. Thanks!

_**"Shu-Big-Brother"**_ – Whether a relative or not, it is customary for younger children to address older children and young adults as "Big Brother/Sister." I don't know if they customarily use the person's name as well, such as Kaiba Mokuba calling his older brother just "Big Brother" and not using his name Seto, but I _have_ heard Jun address the guys so in the anime.

_**Youja**_ – "demon soldier," the 'cannon fodder' of Ronin Warriors. They appear to be empty suits of samurai style armor, animated by a soul but no physical body within. I know that the Ankoku priests, the "Nether spirits," were formed from the negative energies of human emotions, but I don't remember if canon ever clarified what the youja really are or where they come from – so for the purposes of "Spellfire Saga," they are a subspecies of youkai, no different than a youko, kourime, or illusion beast.


	5. Chapter 5 Opening Moves

Disclaimer – Yu Yu Hakusho, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and Ronin Warriors (aka Yoroiden: Samurai Troopers) and all related characters, events, and concepts belong to their respective owners. I get no monetary benefit from this. My benefit is the enjoyment of dealing with beloved characters. If you recognize him/her/it, I don't own him/her/it. If you don't recognize, I might still not be the owner but it'd be best to ask. I'd appreciate it, anyway. ((grin))

"The Spellfire Saga – 1: Shards"  
by DragonDancer5150

Chapter 5 – Opening Moves

Many hours had passed, and Shuten and Naaza still had neither returned nor sent word – nor had Rajura expected that they would have. The new lord would want to gather and consolidate his own forces before seeing the envoy of his neighbor, so that he could convince the ambassador of the solidity of his power. There would likely be a grand banquet with which he could demonstrate his wealth and his confidence in the position he had gained, perhaps even impart a sense of generosity, real or feigned. Rajura smiled to himself. He knew that neither of his fellows would be fooled by such smoke and games, if indeed there were any.

So why did AridSand seem so restless?

Rajura sat back in his chair, waving off the youja offering to refill his goblet, and the soldier frowned in concern, setting the decanter back on the table between them. "/_Lord Rajura, you've been distracted for some time now. May I ask what troubles you?_/"

Though he knew Japanese – Rajura's native language of four hundred years ago – the youja queried him in the tongue native to this realm. Rajura briefly remembered that the language was referred to as Demongogian when it was named at all.

He met the pinpoints of light in the empty helm that served the creature for eyes. This was one of his most trusted soldiers – and a friend. "/_I don't know, Tarius. I feel as though something is on the horizon, a direct threat to the Seasonal Armors, and probably the Elementals as well._/"

"/_Did you have another dream last night, my lord?_/" the youja asked.

Rajura nodded. As the most psychically sensitive of the Seasonals, it was not uncommon for Rajura to be the first to sense a threat to the city or its occupants.

The dreams had started some three weeks ago. They revolved around "memories" of Arago's very first defeat a millennium ago by the warrior monk, Kaosu, the original wielder of Lady Kayura's Shakujo, of whom she was also a descendent. In his dreams, he was present when Kaosu performed the powerful ritual to break apart Arago's indestructible Armor, reforming it into Nine parts and thereby diffusing its unholy power, embedding a virtue within each one to introduce the capacity for Good. Over and over, Rajura found himself scouring the cavern in which the ritual took place, seeking something that had been overlooked. The dream plagued him nearly every night for two weeks before ceasing altogether. Then, last night, he dreamed again.

The time had finally arrived. Under cover of the power play of a grand competition taking place, he would finally unite with the other pieces of himself once and for all, before the cleansing spellfire arrived to pave the way for the new Dark Lords who were to follow. His old master was no more, but these new masters were powerful beyond the last one's wildest dreams, and _they_ would give him what he sought. He longed for unity once more with the rest of himself and to regain the power and glory of the ancient days. Whispers had been reaching him since he had been reawakened over a year ago, when the other pieces of himself had come so tantalizingly close to completion once again, lacking only the one piece of the puzzle, one overlooked shard. The whispers promised a return to the ways of old in all of its destructive power, and he would see that come to pass.

Rajura ran a hand through thick, snowy locks. After last night's dream, he had not been able to banish the feeling of dread that seeped through his thoughts when his guard was down. He had not spoken of his dreams to anyone but Tarius, unwilling to raise alarms that might prove unwarranted. Shuten and Naaza had taken off before the sun's rising, before he had awakened. He did not want to trouble Lady Kayura unless it proved necessary. When Anubisu completed his back-to-back training sessions with his field battalions, Rajura would speak with him.

8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8

"All right, Shu! That was great!"

"Yeah! Way to go!"

"That was awesome!"

"Shu-Big-Brother!"

Shu had just won his third puzzle card and an impressive rare magic card to go with it. "Cool! I'm half-way to the finals already," he laughed. "How 'bout we get somethin' ta eat?"

"Shu!" Nasutei laughed. "It hasn't been that long since lunch!"

"Well, dueling makes me hungry!"

"_Breathing_ makes you hungry," Shin snickered.

"Watch it!" Shu growled in mock-annoyance.

_-__W-I-S-D-O-M!__-_

"Guys?"

"Hey, what's up?"

Concerned, Nasutei and Jun waited and watched as Ryo, Seiji, Shin and Shu froze stock still in unison, the assertion of virtue ringing through their bonded souls via the mindlinks afforded them by their Armors, fear and absolute shock having elicited the cry, like a knee-jerk reaction, from both Armor and bearer of Heavens.

"It's Touma!" Ryo gasped. -_Touma, what is it? What's wrong?_-

-_You guys'll never believe what I just saw and felt! Where are you?_-

-_About a mile from the pier,_- Seiji offered. -_Where are you? We'll meet you there._-

They sensed Touma shake his head. -_I'll be moving. Follow this link. I'm on Kaiba Seto-san's tail. He's in this tournament, too, but he's got some kind of super-powerful card. Not only that but I felt a _real power_ from it when he played it against some thug in an alley bullying cards out of another duelist. Man, it was like he'd called a Ronin Armor against the guy for all the energy that swept through the street! No, even more powerful than that!_-

-_More powerful than a Ronin Armor?_- Shu echoed, his tone incredulous.

-_Oh, no – now what?_- Shin groaned.

-_Stay on him!_- Ryo ordered, pulling his Armor orb from his pocket. -_We'll be right there._-

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"Into _that_ city? Hm, this could prove quite interesting." Rich emerald eyes danced in private amusement as they met ones of ruby hue, rather less amused.

"Kurama, if you know something you're not sharing – " Hiei left the threat hang. It was an empty one, anyway, and both knew it.

"I'm sure you have heard of this place, right? The City of Desire? Its ruler is a powerful lord by the name of Arago – "

"_Was_," Hiei corrected, smirking in satisfaction. Apparently, he knew something the former thief did not.

Kurama half-grinned in return. "Oh?"

"You've been living among the humans too long, Kurama. Arago was defeated well over a year ago. Didn't you sense when he tried to break through the Kikai Barrier? Hn, no – that's when you were off on that study."

Kurama nodded. "I spent six weeks in England and Wales on a cultural exchange last year. So he finally tried again, did he? I suppose it would only be a matter of time before he found some way to cross the barrier Spirit Realm erected between the Human and Demon Realms."

Hiei looked at him askance. "'Tried again'?"

"Arago made his first attempt on the Human Realm a thousand years ago. I remember the recruiting campaign he mounted before that. Thousands of youkai flocked to his banner. I even lost some of my band's members to his army." Kurama did not seem overly upset by the memory.

Hiei nodded. Though he occupied the physical body of a human teenager, his partner was the soul of a _youko_, a fox spirit, who had seen some fifteen hundred years of Demon Realm history – thrice his own age. At one time, Kurama had been the most celebrated thief in all of Demon Realm, and had a pack of rogues he led with impunity. His knowledge, skills, and sheer daring had been unrivaled – until a disrupted theft some sixteen years ago. Fatally wounded, the youko had been forced to leave his mortal body behind, fleeing into the Human Realm in a pure spirit form, merging with the body of an unborn human infant. If he could survive so for ten years, he would have recovered his memories and his youkai energies and abilities and could return to Demon Realm. By ten years old, he had decided not to. Having given her only child the name of Minamino Shuichi at birth, Kurama's human mother still did not know the truth behind her beloved son's existence. Hiei knew that his friend and once partner-in-crime meant for it to stay so, for her own protection.

"I have been in and out of that city and its castle a number of times," Kurama confessed, then allowed a small chuckle. "My last partner, Kuronue, and I used to make a game of it. Its top generals were formidable fighters . . . but they did not have the minds of thieves, so some of their defenses left something to be desired." Kurama's visage darkened for a moment at a thought, his hand going to something under his shirt.

Hiei looked away, honoring him with privacy. He knew what it was his friend reached for. A week ago, a god-like being by the name of Lord Yakumo had invaded the Human Realm, looking to recreate an ages-extinct realm of his own. The two of them along with their human counterparts, Yusuke and Kuwabara, succeeded in destroying him, though not without a terrible battle which nearly devastated the foursome in return.

Yakumo had three lackeys, one who targeted each of Yusuke's companions, leaving the Spirit Detective for Yakumo himself. The one who took on Kurama had been the most insidious of the bunch, appearing to the one-time thief as a former partner of his by the name of Kuronue, a_ koumori_ or bat spirit. Kuronue had been a dear friend who died in a trap while they were escaping a dangerous heist. Kurama had been forced to leave him behind or be taken captive himself by their pursuers. Hiei did not know all of what transpired in Kurama's battle with the present-day imposter, only that Kurama had managed to overcome the hypnotic mind games the attacker had played, who claimed to be the koumori returned from the dead to take revenge for the betrayal and abandonment. The real Kuronue had a pendent that he had never been without and, even though he knew it to be a fake, Kurama had kept the pendent the imposter bore as a reminder of his friendship with his deceased friend.

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Kurama hovered at the edge of memories for a moment, though he never quite let himself forget where he was nor what he was doing. He did not flinch when his partner's voice chased the thoughts away altogether.

"There," Hiei murmured in an undertone.

"Yes, I sense it, too." Kurama looked hard at his friend. "Please remember, Hiei – do not harm him if at all possible."

"Hn. We're forbidden from killing a human anyway, remember?"

"Hiei – "

Hiei nodded with a faint grunt of exasperation.

Kurama returned his gaze to the streets spread out below. From this cliffside vantage, they could see most all of the city, save what lay across from them behind the castle dominating the epicenter. The terrain was rocky wasteland for miles around, the river flowing through doing nothing to alleviate the barren landscape with any vegetation along its shore except what had been cultivated within the stronghold's walls.

_What is he doing here? How can he even know . . . ?_

_Sohma-kun, what has happened to you?_

Late last night, Kurama received a strange phone message. His classmate, Sohma Chikara, had called, and he sounded deeply distressed. Something terrible had happened, and he needed help. Kurama had not yet gotten home from a study meeting for another class, and his mother had been out with her fiancé for the evening. When Kurama finally returned the call, a woman answered who sounded like she had tried to gather herself from crying before picking up the phone. Before he could question her, she had offered to fetch the young master. The Sohmas were a wealthy family with housekeepers who tended the sprawling manor in which most of the clan lived. When he came on the line, Sohma Chikara had been quite calm as he apologized for his earlier message. He had not been feeling well and went to bed after a very early dinner, only to awaken from a nightmare. He told Kurama that he had made the call before he was fully conscious. Kurama had tried to ask about the girl who had been crying, but Sohma waved him off, thanking him for his concern and saying that he would look into it.

Something about the entire exchange had bothered Kurama all night, something about the quality of his classmate's voice. He had promised his mother to help clean house that morning but, as soon as they were finished, he left home on the excuse that he wanted to watch the game tournament taking place today. He made his way straight to the Sohma house only to find the entire clan gathered in mourning. The head of the household had died during the night, the official cause of death recorded as cardiac arrest. However, upon paying his own respects over the body, Kurama sensed strange energies lingering. Also, Sohma Chikara, who had long been positioned to take his father's place as head of the Sohma clan upon the man's death, was conspicuously missing.

For once, Kurama was glad for the inexplicable – and sometimes embarrassing – attraction he had on girls. Chikara's younger sister, Sohma Yumiko, had long had a crush on "Minamino-sama" and was more than willing to share with him everything she knew if only to claim his attention for as long as she could manage.

Sohma Funato, the clan head, had only just last week passed an extensive physical examination with flying colors, especially in regards to his cardiovascular system. The last thing that had likely taken the man's life, in truth, was a cardiac arrest, although only a thorough autopsy would tell for sure. However, Yumiko confessed that her brother had been acting strangely for the better part of a month, muttering to himself on occasion and talking more and more about when he would be given his due as head of the clan. Kurama had noted a sense of withdrawal at school but had never seen reason to involve himself in his classmate's personal concerns unless requested. The girl had even caught her brother more than once in the family's shrine, gazing at or even handling one of the treasures kept therein, an ancient set of samurai armor. It had been in the family for as long as anyone could remember. Chikara had never been interested in martial arts or in the family treasures, but suddenly he seemed obsessed with that armor.

Last night, Sohma Chikara and the armor disappeared.

Kurama had been out on the streets trying to locate his classmate when he had received a mental call from his Spirit Detective partner and friend, Hiei. The youkai swordsman was on the trail of an unknown energy signature being born by a human, and it matched one Koenma had told them to look out for, one whose appearances seemed to coincide with the timeframe of his classmate's strange behavior. Kurama had caught up to Hiei just as a figure in ancient-style samurai armor rounded a corner into a dead-end back alley. It was gone by the time the two arrived to the spot. When they were made Spirit Realm Detectives, Koenma had gifted them with mystical stones called periphery keys that allowed them to create their own spatial portals across the barriers of the Realms. Kurama had used his to sense for the location of the last portal opened and to reopen it himself. That had taken precious minutes to accomplish, but the trail was not completely cold.

8 8 8 8 8

As they made their way down the cliff face, Hiei saw Kurama glance at him, contacting him telepathically. -_It would seem that he seeks to hide himself among the youja, but he is not practiced at masking his energies. Since you do not possess such an ability either, may I suggest we lure him out with your energies, while I approach from behind? We should be wary until we have a better idea what our opponent is capable of._-

Hiei shrugged, knowing that Kurama had a far better head for strategy than he did. It was not that Hiei could not be tactical if needed, just that he preferred a head-on fight to dancing around his opponents.

Quickly, they crossed the terrain, Kurama leading them in without detection by the guards on the walls. He gripped a seedpod in hand, channeling Yoki into it, then threw it up over the parapet and onto the walkway along the top of the wall. -_Three . . . two . . . one . . . Go!-_ Hiei listened with a smirk of satisfaction to the sounds of screams and youja soldiers scrambling to respond to some unknown demonic herbaceous threat while he and Kurama darted up and over the wall at another location. With Kurama, sometimes it was best not to ask details.

Hiei's swift sword took down a few straggler guards as the pair made their way into the city proper, the empty armors collapsing in pieces as clouds of purplish soul energy evaporated from within. The two took turns running point down the close quarters among the buildings of the perimeter, slowing as they reached the wider avenues further in.

Hiei was the first to notice, the range of his senses greater than those of his hybrid partner. -_Kurama, there are three matching signatures in this city!_-

Kurama frowned. -_Hm, then I was not mistaken._- Hiei threw him a look over his shoulder, and Kurama explained, -_If they still reside here, there are four basically identical energy signatures in this city, most readily perceivable when they are fully active. I thought that the signature we seek felt much the same, to say the least, but it has been almost three decades since I was here last. I thought perhaps I was misremembering . . . but I'm afraid that I was not._-

Hiei eyed him. -_Four before, three now, and that includes our new one?_-

Kurama shook his head. -_I do not know. I just know that the base signatures of the three we sense now match the four that I remember._-

-_It's headed for the castle._-

-_Then we follow. I know of another entrance. This way._-

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"Rajura, what are you saying?" Anubisu breathed, incredulous. "Have you brought this up to Lady Kayura yet?"

Rajura rested his elbows on the rail of the wide balcony. "No, I have not. I had wanted to speak with you and Shuten and Naaza first, as a group, but I do not know when they will be back. I'm beginning to feel that this cannot wait."

Anubisu nodded, leaned by the hip against the rail next to his long-time friend and comrade-in-arms. He sighed, really having no advice for his friend. Of the group, the Warrior of Winter was the least intellectual, preferring a good head-on fight to puzzling out games of speculation. "What do you suppose it could possibly mean? I'm no dream interpreter."

"Nor am I," Rajura snorted in annoyance, more at himself than his companion. "The best I can understand is that a sliver of Arago's existence survived the final attack, though WildFire and the others assured us that he was completely destroyed. We felt it, too – his ultimate demise. He could not possibly have survived. Besides, whatever I was sensing in my dream this morning, I got the impression that 'I' had been sleeping until just around then, that the invasion last year awakened me. So whatever it was has only been active for a matter of months. I don't believe that it is any direct part of Arago, but I cannot say that I believe it is not somehow closely related."

"Gentlemen, perhaps I can shed some light on your dilemma."

* * *

Author's Note: Please be sure to check my bio page for any updates, etc. Thanks!

_**Periphery Key**_ – mystical stones that Kurama and Hiei were given in my story "Partners, Friends," which took place months before the present story arc. A periphery key is a rare stone of clear crystal that only operates with Yoki and allows the owner to freely open portals between the Realms for an expenditure of energy to operate. Generally, one keeps the stone "bound" in his or her hand in a pure energy form. It can open a new portal or sense the location of one recently used and reopen that from the same point of origin to the same destination.


	6. Chapter 6 Chikara

Disclaimer – Yu Yu Hakusho, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and Ronin Warriors (aka Yoroiden: Samurai Troopers) and all related characters, events, and concepts belong to their respective owners. I get no monetary benefit from this. My benefit is the enjoyment of dealing with beloved characters. If you recognize him/her/it, I don't own him/her/it. If you don't recognize, I might still not be the owner but it'd be best to ask. I'd appreciate it, anyway. ((grin))

"The Spellfire Saga – 1: Shards"  
by DragonDancer5150

Chapter 6 – Chikara

The two warriors spun in unison to a man standing by one of the archway pillars denoting a border between great hall and balcony, dressed in an obsolete armor style of samurais from many centuries ago. He appeared to be human, but they could sense a power from him that matched the energies of their Seasonal Armors. "What the – ? Who are you?" Anubisu demanded.

"And how did you manage to penetrate the castle so deeply?" Rajura added.

The man gave them a cruel smile. "The power of centuries-old hate and fury is truly an exquisite thing. You yourselves have tasted it, _known_ it. What a pity you have turned your backs on that power for something weaker." He stepped into the room, unsheathing his blades. "Now, if you don't mind, I'll be taking your Armors."

_How cliché_, Rajura thought dryly.

"How dare you . . . !" Anubisu barked. In a heartbeat, his Armor orb was in his hand, disintegrating in his palm to wash his frame in energy that solidified in two-toned body armor of deep red. Beside him, Rajura followed suit into a sub-Armor of two-tone green.

The man smirked. "Gentlemen, you dishonor me by donning _only_ your sub-Armors. You will need more than that, I assure you." His attention shifted fully to Rajura, and he moved one sword into the other hand, freeing the first to hold the palm out flat to the Warrior of AridSand. "I'll deal with you in a minute." A powerful blast of raw energy erupted to slam the Seasonal in the chest too suddenly for the warrior even to brace. Caught off-guard as he was, the discharge threw Rajura clear over the rail of the balcony.

He tried to grab the edge but failed to get himself twisted around in time. He was thrown far enough away from the walls of the castle that he would not be able to reach anything until reaching the ground hundreds of feet below. He had only one chance. "_To Arms! Ari – _"

CRACK!

He heard the sound of a whip a fraction of a second before something wrapped around his arm, and his fall abruptly halted. Above him, he heard an unfamiliar voice. "It's all right! I have you. Come, climb up."

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Anubisu did not dare to turn his back on his adversary, as much as he wanted to go to his friend's aid. "Bastard - !"

"Now, you had better Armor up. It will be more of a challenge that way."

"You asked for it," Anubisu snarled, the growl of his voice not unlike a wolf's. Holding his hands out at arms' length, he laced his fingers together, the pattern specific and complicated. "_To arms! Glacier!_" he called.

It was amazing what a difference it made. Since learning the true names and natures of their Armors with the help of their Elemental counterparts, the Seasonals found it far easier to summon their Armors and utilize their fullest potential without forcing it from the mystical suits. Glacier came to him readily, the battle Armor manifesting over the sub-Armor, attaching to it in a shower of energy sparks like sakura petals and streamers resembling silk. The face guard of the lupine helm retracted, and he reached up over his left shoulder, drawing the massive no-dachi from its scabbard. "Let's see you put your swords where your mouth is. Better yet, I'll do it for you!" He leaped in to attack.

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"Who are you?" The words escaped Rajura before he could catch them as he climbed up what looked for all the world like a whip made from a rose vine to a figure leaning out the window of a turret on the castle several stories below the balcony from which he had been thrown. He looked upon a redhead who reminded him vaguely of a younger Shuten. As he drew closer, the signals from his Armor confused him. AridSand indicated that this youth was both human and youkai at the same time. As he came within reach, he accepted the hand held out to him, climbing into a stairwell within the turret.

"I am not a foe. I am here seeking someone who may wish to make a foe of you, however – if he has not already." The stranger glanced upwards, indicating the way Rajura had come, then met the Ronin's eye again, his gaze intense. "If I am not mistaken, the individual is not acting of his own accord but is under some sort of influence. It is my intention that he himself _does not_ come to harm, but I _am_ here to apprehend him."

Rajura's first instinct was to take offense at what could only be meant as an order in his own castle from this stranger, but he realized that he did not know enough of the situation to judge. Perhaps there was a personal stake in this between his rescuer and his assailant. "We will see what happens. I make no promises . . . though I thank you for your help." He stepped back, lacing his fingers together at arm's length. "_To arms! AridSand!_"

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Kurama took a step back in return as the man's full battle Armor came into existence in a swirl of deep mauve energies, forming itself into the spider-like suit the former thief had come to recognize so well. He had never actually seen any of the Armors donned before. It was quite a spectacle.

"Follow me." Rajura turned to lead him upstairs.

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Hiei had continued on when Kurama paused at the window on the stairs, sensing the movement of one of the energy signatures before they saw the man falling. Kurama had recognized him as one of the original four who served Arago, naming him Rajura. They did not know if he would prove friend or foe these days, but Kurama was unwilling to let him simply fall to his death.

_And if he does prove to be an enemy?_

Given the means, Hiei might have done the same thing – but that was beside the point. He shook his head as he continued, meeting no resistance whatsoever, only the empty shells of discarded youja armors. Whatever their prey was capable of, he had taken out all guards and attempts to stop him without even raising an alarm. Hiei was grudgingly impressed.

He reached the level of the remaining energy signatures and abandoned the stairwell turret to pass into a great hall that opened through pillared arches onto a wide balcony where two armored swordsmen were locked in mortal combat. Hiei paused just long enough to assess the situation. Currently positioned facing him was a human wearing the ancient armor he had glimpsed earlier, bearing a traditional daisho set, katana and smaller wakizashi. Opposing him so that his back was to Hiei stood a cloaked armor that vaguely resembled a wolf or jackal from the helm style and the sword-breaker claw on the left fist, bearing a no-dachi. He realized that there was, in fact, a difference in the energy signatures between the two. While the bearer of the ancient-styled armor registered to him as human Reiki with a surrounding aura of the armor's energy, the bearer of the cloaked, wolf-like armor felt as though Reiki and armor energies were inextricably intertwined.

_Hn. Well, first thing's first._

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Out of the corner of his eye, Anubisu saw a second assailant approach. If he read the new fighter's intentions correctly, he was aiming for the first assailant, but he was no one Anubisu recognized and he was not going to take chances. The first had rapidly proven a powerful combatant, and Anubisu had his hands full without having to defend against a second. He lost energy with every strike and parry, his power being sucked away somehow. Besides, the energy of this stranger registered as Yoki, and any unknown youkai in the castle was invariably a thief or an assassin. As the dwarfish newcomer closed, Anubisu shifted to take a swipe at him with his claw, reserving his sword for the armored assailant. Faster than was humanly possible, the smaller fighter ducked around his attack, drawing his own sword as he continued for his true target. Even as he did so, power of an unknown energy erupted from him to slam into Anubisu. He caught only the briefest of shocked looks from the newcomer who had cast it before the power of the attack overcame him.

Anubisu collapsed like a rag doll, his legs numb and unresponsive. The Sword of the Glacier fell from senseless, trembling fingers as a raging agony blasted through every fiber of his being. His eyes had become hypersensitized, even the muted sunlight of the overcast sky more than they could bear, and the cruel pounding of the sounds of combat continuing above him threatened to split his skull in half. Damn it all, even his _hair_ hurt!

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Hiei hesitated only an instant as the wolf-armored fighter went down. It was not the devastating effect of the energy attack that had made him pause, but that the attack had originated, for all intents and purposes, from him! He thought for an instant that someone must have been right up behind him and cast that attack, but there was no one. He would have to deal with it later, however, as the human in ancient armor turned to concentrate on him. Though not quite as fast as Hiei's, the man's attacks were swift and terribly strong. Hiei forced himself to hold back. He did not know how much damage this human-built armor could take, even though it was obvious to him that some fell power enhanced it, and he did not want to risk having too much damage carry through to the human by accident. A portion in the back of his mind wondered if the tenet against a human's death by a youkai's hand counted when the human was in the Demon Realm and of his own accord, but he banished the thought. This was an acquaintance of Kurama's that he wanted spared. Hiei would honor that – if possible.

_If I can get just him disarmed . . . _

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Rajura hit the top of the stairs to the great hall, the redheaded stranger a step behind him, to see his companion down and another newcomer engaging the first. His rescuer called out even as they pounded across the hall. "Sohma-kun, what are you doing? Can you hear me? Stop this immediately!"

To his interest, Rajura saw the mask of steady determination crack at the voice, even as the shorter swordsman eased back to allow him to respond. The one the stranger named Sohma turned towards them and recognition dawned in his eyes. "M-minamino . . . kun?" The mask shattered then into a visage twisted with terror. "Minamino-kun! Help me! I-I can't - !" He hesitated with a pained expression and then snarled, voice and face changing again, and he turned his attention fully to Rajura. "Arago's armor! Give it to me!" He lurched forward.

Rajura closed to meet him, but the smaller swordsman intercepted him first, his movements faster than should have been possible. The stranger sacrificed taking a strike of the other's wakizashi in order to disarm him of the katana. The sword went skittering across the stone floor as the wakizashi bit into the small youkai's side, knocking him to the ground by the sheer force of the blow, breath blasted from his lungs. Even as he fell, though, his black cloak flared and from it exploded a crackling shot of energy that threw the assailant clear across the balcony and into the stone railing along the side. He lay, motionless, where he fell.

"Rajura-san, see to your friend." The redhead darted to small youkai's side just as the youkai worked himself into a sitting position, one arm wrapped around his ribs.

Rajura did not know how the redhead knew his name, but he nodded. He knelt by Anubisu's side just as the jerky trembling subsided from his limbs and he lay still. "Anubisu, are you all right?"

Anubisu squinted up at him. "Not . . . s-so . . . loud . . . " he pleaded, his voice barely above a whisper, then added with a weak grin, "and . . . t-tell the room . . . to quit s-spinning." He swallowed hard, then frowned. "Where is . . . ?"

"Just rest." Rajura pushed back to his feet, joining his unknown companions as they approached the unconscious assailant, all three of them wary.

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Kurama stood looking down at his classmate, Sohma Chikara. The dark energies of the mysterious armor nearly overwhelmed any sensation of the human's own Reiki. _What terrible power . . . What is going on?_ Kurama glanced over as Rajura drew up to his side. "How is he?"

"Other than sounding like he has a horrendous hangover, he's fine." Before he could say more, others arrived on the scene.

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"Rajura? A-anubisu! What happened here?" Lady Kayura crossed the hall to the balcony, preceded and flanked by nearly a dozen youja. The soldiers spread out to cover and, if need be, apprehend the two standing strangers.

Rajura saw the smaller one brace, his sword still drawn and ready, but the redhead shook his head with his arm out across his companion before turning to meet Rajura's eye. Rajura studied him for a moment, then addressed his superior. "Lady Kayura, there has been an attempt to steal the Seasonal Armors by one who seems to be himself possessed by some power. These two came to capture him. They are not foes." The last was added as much for Kayura's sake as to let the youja know to back away. When they did, he noted the small swordsman sheath his blade, though he did not let his guard down.

Lady Kayura studied them in turn before inclining her head. "Thank you for your assistance. You two – " She motioned a pair of youja to help the Warrior of Winter.

One of the youja knelt to pull an arm up and across his shoulders. "Lord Anubisu, are you hurt?" The second took the warrior's other arm in similar fashion.

"Nothing lasting," Anubisu muttered, his inflection indicating that normal tones of voice still rang too loudly for his comfort.

Lady Kayura approached her general and the newcomers, even as the rings of the Shakujo began to chime. The closer she drew, the louder they got, sounding violently of their own accord. The chorus became nearly deafening before falling silent all at once when Kayura stepped up beside Rajura. Both she and Rajura frowned in concern at the head of the mystical staff, studying the still metal rings. "What . . . what can it mean?" Kayura breathed.

Rajura shook his head. The redheaded stranger had knelt by the unconscious man, feeling for a pulse, while the short swordsman shifted to a defensive stance in front of him. Rajura crouched as well, closing his eye as he held a gloved hand out over the fallen man. A sensation from AridSand caused him to place his hand on the man's chest. A power had pulsed at him from the breastplate but, as soon as he touched it, a sense of hate and rage shot through him so that he jerked back with a tight, muttered oath in Demongogian.

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Before this, Kurama had contacted his partner via telepathy as he knelt. -_Hiei, that blast – _-

Hiei allowed a mental shrug, giving no outward indication of the private dialogue as he repositioned to defend his friend as needed. -_I don't know. It wasn't me._-

Kurama thought about that for a long moment, trying to understand what the attack had been. -_Whatever its cause, its source of energy was mostly a blend of Sohma-kun's and Anubisu-san's – the other swordsman,_- he clarified, remembering that Hiei would not know the warriors' names. -_This one is Rajura-san. The woman's name, apparently, is Kayura-sama, though I do not know her myself from previous visits._-

Hiei gave an imperceptible nod, accepting the information before returning to the first subject. -_Something similar happened right before you arrived. It's the attack that took down that one._- He indicated Anubisu. -_The effect was different, but the blend of energies was the same, tainted with . . . something else._- He frowned, realizing that he had felt something similar – from that boy's mystical pyramid and the other items Hiei had found and tracked over the past months. He shared this with Kurama, who was aware of the items his partner had studied in his way.

It was Kurama's turn to frown. -_In following these items as you have, Hiei, you may have attracted the attention of one or more of them unwittingly. Did you not tell me once that at least two of them have powerful spirits attached? What other powers might they have that we are not aware of?_-

-_Hn_.-

It was then that Rajura flinched back in a sudden, violent motion from Sohma as a powerful, palpable energy jolted through him. He clutched his hand as though stung, even as his face contorted with some internal struggle.

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"Rajura!" Kayura began to lay a hand of concern on his shoulder.

Halfway across the great hall, Anubisu jerked against his supporters, feeling the attack on his comrade. "Lady Kayura, don't touch him!" he managed to gasp. She pulled back her hand, looking in concern between her generals.

Breathing hard, Rajura slowly relaxed and sank back on his haunches. He dispelled his Armor, having it withdraw all the way to orb form in his palm, leaving him in his kimono. He pushed to his feet and turned to address Anubisu. "Release your Armor, and do _not_ let it come into contact with this man. There is a consciousness somewhere attached to him that will try to take you over through your own Armor."

Anubisu had pushed off of his supporters with a nod of thanks to walk with care back to his friend under his own strength, scowling deeply. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say it was Arago, or some shred of him. Damn well _felt_ like him."

"I apologize for this attack upon you," the redhead put in, standing to address the three, "but this young man is an acquaintance of mine whom I must return home."

"Only after we remove the armor that he wears," Lady Kayura insisted. "Leave his armor with us that it may be disposed of and whatever possessing entity dealt with, then you will be free to take your companion home." She looked at Rajura. "Considering what just happened, I will not have you or Anubisu handle that armor. I will remove and destroy it myself."

The redhead frowned, not liking that proposal. "My lady, with all due respect, I know of people who can deal with this armor and any entity – "

A low chuckling interrupted him. "I'm afraid 'this armor and its entity' have other plans. Until next time . . . " Before anyone could react, the armor shimmered and disappeared, taking its host with it.

"Damn!" the youkai swordsman swore, thrusting out his left hand, Yoki glowing in a golden halo from his palm.

"What are you – ?" Rajura began.

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"Got it." Hiei changed the energy of the periphery key embedded in his palm and a rift opened in vertical space, rippling energies extending to human height. A city street in the Human Realm could be viewed beyond with humans gathered far down the way, their cheering audible through the portal. The crowd surrounded what appeared to be a crystalline dragon and a swarm of giant wasps, the vision wavering like an image mirrored on the surface of a pond.

Kurama started through, but Rajura caught his shoulder. "I will go with you." He turned to Anubisu and Kayura. "Contact Shuten and Naaza. Tell them what has happened. I will go warn the Elementals. They may well be his next targets."

Anubisu stepped up. "I will – "

" – stay here and recover, and report to Shuten," Rajura finished for him. "You are still weakened from that attack."

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Anubisu's gaze flicked to the short swordsman, but he had seen the initial startled confusion on the other's face, as surprised by that attack as he had been, even though it came from his person. Perhaps the possessed armor had some means of bouncing attacks off of another so that it seemed that the other was the attacker? For his part, the short swordsman met his gaze without flinching, ruby eyes waiting and challenging, anticipating his accusation.

_Then again, would I be any different_, Anubisu wondered, _if I had seemed to attack someone when I had not, and a stranger at that, whom I would not expect to take me on my word if I tried to refute it?_ He knew nothing of this person to make him trust, but he could not deny the sincerity of the shock in those ruby eyes in that instant. "Rajura," he intoned, "beware of energy attacks from unexpected sources." As Rajura nodded, Anubisu saw the swordsman react in surprise, then give him a small, curt nod of appreciation.

"We must go," insisted the redhead. "Sohma-kun gets further away, and it takes energy to maintain this portal."

Rajura nodded, his sub-Armor forming upon him once again. "Lead on."

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In the darkness, a deeper shadow chided the mistake made.

_Damn, that was the wrong one. Must be more careful. Must more closely determine ally from enemy before taking action. Such strikes require energy, even if most is drawn from others. I cannot afford to be careless. Next time . . . _

* * *

Author's Note: Please be sure to check my bio page for any updates, etc. Thanks!


	7. Chapter 7 Puzzle Pieces

Disclaimer – Yu Yu Hakusho, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and Ronin Warriors (aka Yoroiden: Samurai Troopers) and all related characters, events, and concepts belong to their respective owners. I get no monetary benefit from this. My benefit is the enjoyment of dealing with beloved characters. If you recognize him/her/it, I don't own him/her/it. If you don't recognize, I might still not be the owner but it'd be best to ask. I'd appreciate it, anyway. ((grin))

"The Spellfire Saga – 1: Shards"  
by DragonDancer5150

Chapter 7 – Puzzle Pieces

Dusk would not settle for at least another hour or two, but the day had been too long already.

Yugi walked the back streets of downtown Domino City, avoiding the more populated areas for now. His Duel Disk was switched off, his Deck back in its case on his hip. He would not be Dueling anymore this day unless he had no choice.

It had not been two hours since the medics had arrived in response to an anonymous phone call to find an unconscious man in the basement dueling arena of a building not far from the city park. Honda had made the call to Emergency Services when he, Anzu, Grandpa, and Mokuba found their friend and grandson with Pandora collapsed in his arms. Yugi did not tell them what he had learned from the mind-controlled former stage magician. Grandpa then treated everyone to dinner, except for Mokuba who said that he had to get back to his brother and his duties as commissioner of the tournament. Yugi had found that he had no appetite and excused himself to be alone for a while. No one had questioned him outright, though all three had expressed concern. Yugi sighed. He knew that he needed his friends, but right now his mind was too full and his heart too empty to be around other people without worrying them overmuch.

So far, he had only been in two Duels and both of them with Rare Hunters who served someone by the name of Malik. This Malik person had been the one mind-controlling Bandit Keith almost two weeks ago when he stole the Millennium Puzzle and forced Yugi to Duel him to regain it. He was also the holder of the final Millennium Item, the Millennium Rod, which held the power to control people's minds, turning them into puppets. With his spirit partner's help, the two merged together had defeated each Hunter, after which each was made into Malik's puppet so that he could speak to Yugi through him.

Malik was after the spirit of the Puzzle himself, calling him "Pharaoh" and vowing to destroy him in revenge for himself and his people, the Clan of the Tombkeepers. His clan, Malik claimed, had protected the Millennium Items for three thousand years, awaiting the day when their mission would be fulfilled: to return the Pharaoh's memory to his soul. However, he claimed, it was because of the Pharaoh that Malik's father had been murdered. The father's death was the last in a long string of injustices to the clan, which had lived in darkness underground since ancient times, disallowed contact with the outside world. The key to unlocking the Pharaoh's memory existed in three Duel Monster cards, each one unique unto itself and powerful beyond imagination both in and even outside of the game. Malik had called them God Cards. Whoever owned these cards could unlock the Pharaoh's memory and claim his power, also gaining the ability to use all seven Millennium Items. Malik already had two of the three. His intent was to recover the last card, destroy the spirit – and Yugi with him – and become the new Pharaoh.

Yugi could not say which thought upset him more: the knowledge that someone was out to kill him and his spectral partner . . . or the prospect of losing the spirit forever with the end of this tournament. It had not taken him any time to realize that it was his lost memory that the spirit sought in entering the tournament. He remembered his thoughts upon first learning of it. _If we don't get the three God cards and the lost memory, my other self can stay with me forever. But he must be desperate to know his memory! We move forward because of our faith. We have our memory supporting us. But the other me doesn't know his memory, so he can only stay where he is . . . How sad. Even though he knows that, once he gets his memory back he has to leave me, he still has to search._ Part of him felt ashamed for his selfishness in wanting not to find the cards and to keep the spirit with him, but he could hardly help it. He had grown accustomed to having that other presence with him always and knew that there would be a terribly empty and lonely place left behind with the spirit's departure. Even more than that, he would be losing a dearly beloved friend.

He had not noticed the spirit manifest himself, pacing in silence alongside him for a few minutes while lost in his own thoughts. Yugi startled at the unexpected comment.

-_Aibou . . . Yugi, I . . . I am sorry,_- the spirit murmured, his voice both soft and heavy.

Yugi looked up at him. "Huh? For what?"

The spirit met his eye, himself startled by Yugi's honest confusion. He sighed. -_I should have told you. I'm sorry that you had to find out the way you did._-

Yugi shook his head. "No! It's not your fault. You tried – this morning, remember?"

The spirit hesitated. -_Yes, but . . ._ -

Yugi forced a grin for his friend's sake. "Don't worry, Nakama. We'll get those God Cards and recover your memory. We'll do it together, just like everything else. The Deck we built together will see us through." He patted the case on his hip.

-_Aibou . . . _- the spirit whispered. He pulled a breath, his eyes dropping away from Yugi's, and he gazed out ahead of them. -_I don't know what will happen once I _do_ get my memories back. I'm sure they were sealed for a reason – and I . . . may not be able to stay once they are recovered._-

Yugi felt the tears pressing against the backs of his eyes, and he blinked them away before the spirit could see. "Maybe . . . but we don't know that, right? Let's just worry about getting the cards and your memory for now. We can figure out the rest later – _together_," he reiterated. "Just remember, you're not alone – and it's not just me, either, but Jonouchi, Honda, Anzu, and Bakura, too. We're all here for you. Don't you ever forget that."

The spirit graced him with a heartfelt smile. -_No, I could never forget. Thank you, Aibou._-

"Stone Ogre Grotto, Defense Mode!"

Yugi paused. "Oh! I know that voice. It's Shu-kun. Hey, let's go see how he's doing."

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"Stone Ogre Grotto, Defense Mode! Heh, try to get past that! End turn."

Mai smirked as she drew a card from her deck. "Hah! He's tough, stonehead, but he's not tough enough. However, let's get rid of that ridiculous chicken of yours first. Harpie Lady, Cyber Lighting Whip! Take down Kurama with Black Pendant!"

Shu braced as his Winged Beast Monster card took the lashing strike from Mai's powered-up Harpie Lady, shrieking before it exploded in a shower of electronic holographic shards. He lost 600 Life Points, but he looked up at his opponent with a laugh. "Ut-oh. Don't know much about Black Pendant, do ya?"

"Huh?"

"Not only did Black Pendant give my Winged Beast, Kurama, the 500 attack-point boost but, when it goes to the graveyard, you take those 500 points directly!"

"What? Oh, no!" Mai groaned as the LP counter on her Duel Disk registered the damage.

"An' guess what – I'm not finished. Reveal trap card, Spellbinding Circle! Attach to Harpie Lady! Oops! Sorry, Mai-kun, but it looks like your punked-out hen just lost 700 attack points. Heehee!"

"Spellbinding Circle! Where did you get a card like that?"

"I won it a couple'a hours ago. Well, got anything else, or is that your turn?"

Mai shook her head. "End turn. You're up, hot shot."

"Wow, what a great play!" Jun crowed from off-field.

Mai rolled her eyes at the boy. "You cheer like the peanut gallery of a friend of mine. Hey, stonehead, by the way, where's the rest of your posse, anyway?"

Shu glanced at Shin and Jun, then shrugged. "They had somethin' come up they had to go take care of." The truth was, he was not sure where they were just then, but he knew that they would contact him immediately if anything changed.

About two hours before, the group had caught up with Touma who had been tailing the Kaiba brothers only to overhear the younger pass on a report to his older brother. Mutou Yugi had just disappeared from the tournament surveillance system, the signal from his Duel Disk being blocked somehow. Kaiba Seto had called a helicopter to take him and his brother back to the control center. Ryo had told Shu to go ahead and continue his participation in the tournament and for Shin and Jun to stay with him. The rest would see if they could find Mutou and also keep an eye out for Kaiba's return, Seiji and Touma going one way, Ryo and Nasutei another. So far, Shu had not heard back from either pair, and he was worried for his schoolmate.

He shook his head and returned his attention to the Duel at hand. "Well, anyway – look out, 'cuz here I come!" He drew a card from his Deck, adding it to his hand. "All right, one card face down, Ruizu the Beaver Warrior in Defense Mode, and I equip him with Beast Fangs for an additional 300 points Attack and Defense. Heh, and before I forget – Stone Ogre Grotto switches to Attack and takes out Harpie Lady!"

"Hm . . . no, I don't think so," Mai smirked.

"Oh?"

"Reveal magic card, Mystical Space Typhoon. Your Spellbinding Circle is gone, which means Rock-for-Brains just bit off more than he can chew! He's destroyed, and you lose 300 Life Points!"

"Aw, man! Hey, that's a handy card. Your move."

Mai grinned at him in anticipation. "Well, if you haven't been waiting for this, you don't know me very well. I play Elegant Egotist. My Harpie Lady becomes the three Harpie Lady Sisters. That ends my turn, but get ready to say goodbye to your buck-toothed teddy bear."

"Heh, actually, I _was_ anticipating your sisters, and you're not gonna like this. Reveal trap card, Just Desserts! You lose 500 Life Points for each Monster on your side of the field – and since your sisters all count separately . . . " Mai watched in horror as her counter registered a 2000 LP loss, and Shu frowned. "Um . . . that's not right, is it?" Mai gave him a lopsided grin and pointed at one of her facedown cards, in the Monster Card Zone. "Oh."

"You got some good moves for a newbie."

"Heh, wait'll I get experienced. Then, you'll – "

-_Elementals, to arms!_-

Shu froze, jolted by the sudden, unexpected call. Behind him, he heard Shin breathe, "R-rajura? What's he doing here?"

"I dunno, but we better find out quick. That didn't sound good at all."

"Shu-kun? Hey, where do you think you're going?" Mai demanded as Shu switched off his Duel Disk. "Hello! We're in the middle of a duel!"

Shu turned back to her, flustered. He truly wanted to finish this, but his duty as a Ronin Warrior came first. "S-sorry, Mai-kun, but I gotta go – _now!_ I – " He growled in frustration, then tossed down the two puzzle cards he had bet, plus Spellbinding Circle. "I'll have to owe you the other rare card cuz it's buried in my graveyard somewhere. I swear I'll come back and give it to you . . . um, as soon as I can."

"Y-you're forfeiting?" Mai stammered in disbelief. "But you're ahead! Can't this wait?"

"No." He met her gaze and sighed. "Some things come before dueling, even in a tournament. You have my word of Justice that I'll come back with my rare card. Come on, Shin, Jun-chan."

Before Mai could protest further, Shu had scooped up Jun and pounded off around a corner onto another street, Shin hot on his heels. As soon as they were out of sight, both warriors had their mystical orbs in hand, summoning their sub-Armors on the run. Shu's Duel Disk absorbed to wherever their clothes went with the formation of the Armors, affording him the free arm to swing Jun up onto his back, and he and Shin took off in earnest, racing at super-human speeds to answer their comrade's call.

8 8 8 8 8

Mai just stood for a moment in shock. "Damn . . . I've been dumped before, but this takes the cake!"

Having been watching from the sidelines, Yugi finally approached, retrieving the discarded cards. "Um, Mai-san . . . I guess these are yours."

"Oh! Yugi-kun . . . " Mai regarded him for a moment, then huffed. "What the hell was that? You saw it. He forfeited, and he was actually doing really well!"

Unseen by Mai, the spirit stood beside Yugi with his arms crossed, gazing in the direction Shu and his friends had fled with a look of consternation on his face. -_A power reached out, and they heard or felt it. And the energy pattern that I sensed from Shu yesterday? His peer possesses a nearly identical energy, and they both just activated. Apparently, it allows them to run at incredible speed because they have suddenly bolted far past what I can sense._-

"I mean, honestly, what _happened!_" Mai was saying. "Did they have radio earphones or something? What could possibly make him leave in the middle of a Duel like that?"

"I don't know," Yugi confessed, "but it sounded really important. Mai-san?" He offered the cards again, wanting her to take them so he could go after Shu.

Mai shook her head. "Ut-uh. I can't accept them. That kid's good, and I'm not going to let him just hand me his cards like that, especially if something that important has drawn him away." She frowned at a sudden thought. "I wonder if something's happened to one of his friends. Anyway, he owes me the rest of our Duel. I'm not going to take his cards until I _win_ them from him. Come on." She motioned Yugi to follow as she switched off her own Duel Disk and jogged over to the corner to look down the empty street. "Hey, where did they go?"

"You think something might have happened to friends of his?" Yugi murmured as he caught up to her, worried for them.

-_Aibou, allow me._- Yugi nodded, and the Puzzle activated as the spirit switched places with him. Reaching out through the power of the Puzzle, the spirit sensed for the position or at least direction of Shu and his companions. He nodded as he located a convergence of several energy patterns to one spot a few blocks away. "Mai, this way. I know where they went."

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Mai shook her head inwardly before taking off after him, noting the slight deepening of voice and the stronger tone. _He's done that flip-flop in personality again. Yugi-honey, you're certainly a strange one._ Still, she could forgive him that oddity. After all, he was her friend, and that was something she had come to cherish deeply.

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_Dammit, Botan, this is supposed to be my day off! Didn't I just save the world _last_ weekend!_

Yusuke pounded along the street, swearing silently that this had better be worth his time. The ferrygirl had appeared out of the blue at the arcade just as he was finally about to beat a game he had been trying to best for months, one Game Battler by name. Well, all right – maybe he was not _just_ about to beat it, but . . . The only reason he had listened to her at all was that she had told him about Kurama and Hiei following something into Demon Realm and that they might be in over their heads. That alone had been enough to get Yusuke's attention. _If there's something those two can't handle on their own, it must be bad_. He was to find Kuwabara so that the ferry girl could take them both to Demon Realm to give their teammates some back up. Then, Koenma's voice sounded over what looked like a wristwatch on Botan's arm. The prince of Spirit Realm told him where to find Kuwabara and that the prey had just returned through a portal of its own making back to Human Realm – which meant that Kurama and Hiei would be following very shortly. Koenma gave that location as well.

Botan had disappeared to get Kuwabara while Yusuke continued on to the portal site. _What I wouldn't give for one of those border stone things_, he grumbled, even knowing why he could not have one. They did not work with Reiki, only Yoki. _Hiei, Kurama, hang on. I'm on my way, guys!_

He rounded a corner onto a fight already in progress far down the street. A figure in ancient-style samurai armor had caught a Rose Whip strike from Kurama, yanking the half-youkai in close to wrap an arm around his throat as though intending to use him for a shield against a second armored figure. The other's armor was . . . more modern-looking, to say the least, made of a sort of metal or composite of dark pinkish hue and fashioned like a stylized spider. _Who are you and whose side are you on? And where's Hiei?_ He raced in, gathering his Reiki for a Spirit Gun shot as soon as he was close enough to aim without blasting Kurama by accident.

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Kurama let go of his Rose Whip and dropped into a near-fetal crouch, tumbling free of Sohma's attempted grapple. He rolled to his feet just as a long, golden arrow shot in from somewhere to his right to bury itself into Sohma's shoulder. At the same time, a familiar voice shouted his name from just left and behind him.

"Minamino-kun? S-sohma-kun!"

Kurama spun around to two figures in body armor, one in white-and-sapphire-blue and the other in white-and-fierce-orange. He startled as he realized that he recognized the one in blue – Mouri Shin, his friend from Marine Biology class. His companion in the orange paused just long enough for a child to slide off his back so he could enter the combat.

The orange-armored fighter ignored Kurama to address Rajura. "Hey, there, Magic-man! Whaddya bring us?"

Rajura frowned at them. "HardRock, Torrent, this man needs to be knocked out and his armor removed. He is possessed by it."

Mouri looked between Rajura, Kurama, and Sohma. Kurama fell back to Mouri's position and realized that his and his companion's armors radiated the same energies as the generals' and Sohma's. He did not know what was going on but – "Mouri-kun, do not let him touch you. An entity in the armor may try to take you over." He snatched another rose from under his hair, forming a second Rose Whip, as he pulled a seedpod from his pocket with the other hand.

Sohma had stumbled back from Kurama and the new arrivals, gripping the arrow in his shoulder and glaring at two more figures in full battle armor as they arrived on the scene, one in deep blue with a large, golden bow and the other in vibrant green with a great no-dachi similar to the one Anubisu wielded. Just then, too, Hiei re-emerged from the building across the street into which a blast from Sohma had thrown him. He did not have his cloak on. Yusuke, too, arrived just then.

Sohma snarled in frustration and spun with his sword held out in front of him, and a powerful wind spiraled out to sweep all of his opponents away from himself. Then, he pounced on the closest Armor-bearer.

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Shu was not overweight, but he was built like a tank, so the sudden gale-wind did not blow him back quite as far as the others. Then, the adversary was on top of him with both hands going for his throat. At the same time, he felt something invade him and his Armor, attempting to wrest control. He heard Rajura's voice, ordering, "HardRock, shed your Armor. Don't let it be taken!" Shu did not like the idea of being without his Armor but thought it better than the prospect of having it possessed. With a thought, his sub-Armor withdrew into orb form in his hand, and he looked around for his closest ally. He was not crazy about his option, but what choice did he have? Choking through the hands clutching his throat, he gasped, "Hey, Urameshi-kun, catch!" He threw his Armor orb.

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It took Yusuke a moment to realize that he recognized the beleaguered fighter. "Shu? W-what – ?" Then, he was diving to catch an orange shooting marble cast his way, dispersing the energy he had gathered for his attack. He caught it but then almost dropped it in shock, sensing the powerful energy pulsing within. The attacking, old-armored assailant dropped Shu and turned his way, crouching to lunge. Yusuke shifted the marble into his left hand and positioned his right, repowering his attack. "Oh, you want the ball? Sorry, but my report card says, 'Does not play well with others.' _Spirit Gun!_" The shot of intense blue-white Reiki pounded the attacker clean across the breastplate, sending him flying back straight into the green and dark-blue armored warriors. The three collapsed in a heap before recovering themselves. The two warriors latched onto the assailant, restraining him, but then he disappeared.

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Kurama had rolled to his feet once more by then and was scanning the scene. He cursed silently that the possessed Sohma had escaped again. He doubted that a trap would await this time if they tried to follow – nor would there be the chance, really. The fight had attracted onlookers from the tournament duel down the street. They would need an explanation to throw off uncomfortable questioning. Then, he noted that Mouri's formerly orange-armored companion – the one he had heard Yusuke call "Shu" – wore a Duel Disk now that his armor was gone. That gave him an idea. Releasing the energies on the rose so that it reverted to its natural form, he stashed it back under his hair, then untied his sash and swept off his white jacket, draping it over his left arm to hide the fact that he was not himself wearing one of those tournament devices.

"Shu-san!" he called. "Well fought. I am defeated. All of you, return to your cards!" He crushed the pod he still held in his left hand, now under his jacket where his nonexistent gaming device was supposed to be. From under the jacket, a thick cloud of spores issued into the air and filled most of the street in a rapidly-spreading cloud, more than enough area to hide the collected fighters. He reached out with telepathy. -_Mouri-kun, Rajura-san, have your companions withdraw except for Shu-kun. Yusuke, Hiei, go with them. We should regroup away from the watching eyes of this audience._-

-_Minamino-kun, what – ?_-

-_Kurama, what the hell – ?_-

-_Yusuke, please, I will explain later._-

-_ . . . "Kurama" . . . ?_-

Kurama winced, realizing that sharp, strategic Rajura was very likely putting the thief's puzzle together. He had used such tactics as the fungal spore cloud and his trademark Rose Whip to escape the castle in the past. -_Rajura-san, I promise that I will explain but, please, this cloud is dissipating even now. We haven't time!_-

The spore cloud dispersed, leaving only Kurama and Shu, who had picked himself up off the ground by then. Kurama gave him a grin as he stepped up to shake Shu's hand. "Thank you for such a well-fought match. Can I buy you a drink? Please, come. I know of a wonderful establishment not far from here." He threw a chummy arm around Shu's shoulders.

"Uh . . . yeah, sure. Oh, hey! Thanks, everyone, for watching!" Shu waved at the gathered crowd as he allowed himself to be led away.

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Most of the crowd took the ruse at face value but, as the gathering slowly scattered, three of the onlookers lingered, dubious about what they had just seen.

Mai shook her head, her arms crossed. "I don't know what that was all about, but it certainly was no Duel."

The spirit only nodded, distracted as he continued to track the strange energy signatures through the Millennium Puzzle.

In spirit form beside him, Yugi gazed after his new friend in deep concern. _Shu-kun, what's going on? Who are those people?_

_What kind of trouble are you involved in?_

* * *

Author's Note: Please be sure to check my bio page for any updates, etc. Thanks!


	8. Chapter 8 Getting It Together

Disclaimer – Yu Yu Hakusho, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and Ronin Warriors (aka Yoroiden: Samurai Troopers) and all related characters, events, and concepts belong to their respective owners. I get no monetary benefit from this. My benefit is the enjoyment of dealing with beloved characters. If you recognize him/her/it, I don't own him/her/it. If you don't recognize, I might still not be the owner but it'd be best to ask. I'd appreciate it, anyway. ((grin))

"The Spellfire Saga – 1: Shards"  
by DragonDancer5150

Chapter 8 – Getting It Together

For a long moment, six humans and a youkai standing in a back alley stared at one another in silent, unabashed confusion. Then, the questions came in a cacophony.

"Who are you?"

"What is a youkai doing in the Human Realm?"

"Date, what's with – ?"

"Urameshi, how did you shoot – ?"

"Do you still have Shu-Big-Brother's Armor orb?"

"All right, wait! Hold it!" Hashiba Touma stepped into the center, pausing long enough to dispel his Heavens' full form, leaving himself in the white-and-dark-blue sub-Armor. He looked at Yusuke, then turned to his companions. "Seiji, do you know him?"

Seiji had also downgraded Halo to sub-Armor. Still regarding his schoolmate with folded arms, he nodded. "Yes, from school. Urameshi Yusuke, first-year."

"And who the hell are you?" Yusuke demanded.

"Hashiba Touma, first-year, Meiou Academy." He was about to say more but Yusuke's gasp of recognition stopped him.

"Hey, yeah, I know Meiou. You mighta heard of a second-year from there by the name of Minamino Shuichi."

Touma nodded. "We met yesterday, actually."

"He's in my Marine Biology class. I met him early last school year." Shin stepped up to bow and offer his hand. "Mouri Shin, second-year."

Yusuke accepted the handshake awkwardly. "Ah, yeah, nice ta meet ya. And you are?" He turned to Rajura and Jun.

"A very long story that I do not think we have time for." Rajura turned to his fellow Ronins. "We need to relocate and – "

"Whoa! Hey, hold on a sec', Spiderman!" Yusuke growled. "Whatever's going on, you're not just shuttin' me and mine out like that. After all, wasn't it Hiei and Kuram– I mean, Shuichi . . . " He stopped, a silent curse crossing his mind at the look of recognition.

"That makes two times now that you would call that one 'Kurama'."

A sigh from just behind the group interrupted and pulled their attention to Kurama and Shu. Ryo and Nasutei walked beside them, having apparently intercepted them along the way. "Because, Rajura-san, that was my name originally. Yes, we have met more than once in the past, when I was a full youko, before I was forced to . . . go into hiding, if you will."

"Youko?" Seiji echoed. "A fox spirit?"

Jun whispered to Nasutei, "Kinda like Naaza's father? 'Cept he was a snake."

8 8 8 8 8

Rajura regarded him with arms crossed and shook his head. "Kurama the Silver Fox. What the hell are you doing in a human body?" he wanted to know, a wry smirk on his face.

Kurama grinned in return. "That story is almost as long as yours."

Yusuke and the Elementals simply gaped. "Kurama, you know this guy?" Yusuke finally stammered.

Kurama chuckled. "Basically since Arago recruited him and his fellows, yes."

"How many times did you make a fool of me and the other generals?" Rajura allowed a small, smirking grin. There was a time when he would have threatened to eviscerate the thief for those games. Somehow it was no longer important. "Whatever happened to that koumori accomplice of yours?"

A pained expression crossed Kurama's face but, before he could reply, Ryo murmured, "'Ever since Arago recruited' . . . That was four hundred years ago! How old _are_ you?"

"As a human, I am what I appear to be. Before the . . . accident that forced me to take a spirit form and find refuge here, I had seen nearly fifteen hundred winters."

"F-fifteen . . . ?" Shin breathed.

" . . . _hundred_?" Shu finished in equal disbelief.

Hiei shrugged, speaking up from his position outside of the knot of fighters with his hands in his pockets, his cloak draped over one arm. "It's not unheard of . . . for youkai. We're a _little_ hardier and longer-lived than you humans."

"Hey, watch it!" Shu started, but Ryo grabbed his arm.

"Shu, drop it. So, Urameshi-kun, I understand you have a special ability of some kind, too, huh?"

"And can I have my Armor orb back, please?"

8 8 8 8 8

Yusuke looked again at the orange sphere in his hand. He fancied he could almost see a symbol in its swirling depths. It was not clear enough to read, though he thought it might be a kanji, but he could most certainly "read" the power. It was definitely Yoki in general, but its exact nature was like nothing he had ever felt before. Now, however, he realized that he was sensing no fewer than five such signatures from among the other humans standing there in the alley, closely intertwined with their own Reiki so that it was almost impossible to separate the sensations.

"'Armor orb,' huh?" Yusuke idly tossed the sphere up a foot or so before catching, enjoying the stricken look on the Chinese kid's face at the prospect of Yusuke dropping his treasure. "Is this what forms those armors of yours, then?" He indicated the four sub-Armors.

"Hey! That's not yours to play with!" Jun protested.

"Yusuke, I think I might be able to explain." The company turned to see Botan arrive on her oar, Kuwabara jogging along underneath.

"Hey, Urameshi – Oh! Sanada, Shu, Date, how's it goin'? An', uh, what's with the stormtrooper costumes? Ya got the colors all wrong, by the way – "

"Kuwabara, would you just shut up?" Yusuke groaned.

"Hn. Somehow I doubt that's even possible," Hiei muttered.

"Knock it off, shrimp, before I knock that smirk right offa your – !"

Botan dropped down between them, dispelling her oar. "Boys, _boys!_ Both of you! Hiei, you're just as bad as Kuwabara."

"Uh, am I seeing things," Ryo ventured, "or did she just fly in on a boat paddle?"

"I-is she – I mean, are you a witch?" Jun queried.

"Jun-chan, there's no such thing," Touma chided.

"Heh, no wonder Urameshi knows her," Shu snickered.

"Right," Shin frowned at the same time, "just like there's no such thing as magic armor."

"Ferry girl!" Everyone turned to Nasutei in surprise. "You're a ferry girl, aren't you?"

"Well, actually, yes, I am." Botan gave a chipper nod and huge grin, thrusting out her hand. "Name's Botan, ferry girl extraordinaire, at your service, Nasutei-chan!"

"Sh-she knows your name!" Shu hissed into Nasutei's ear, scared for his friend.

Botan rolled her eyes. "I know all of your names, _Shu_-kun." She pulled a small black book from the folds of her pink kimono. "Here, see? Shu Rei Fuan, 15. Lives with parents and paternal grandfather. Oldest of five. Family runs a Chinese restaurant. Quick-tempered and proud but also kind, fun-loving, has a big heart and a powerful sense of justice. Also loves to eat. Current possessor and wielder of HardRock, the Ronin Elemental Armor of Earth."

Yusuke crossed his arms. "Hey, I thought only dead people showed up in that grade book of yours."

Botan nodded. "Mostly, but there's also a special section in the back for noteworthy living people, especially those with special abilities or items. You were moved back here, too, when you were resurrected. See?" She leaned over to show him the page.

"Ooh! Can I see?" Jun slid over to peek between Botan and Yusuke.

Yusuke was no better. "Hey, who else you got the goods on? Lemme see that." He started to pull it closer for a better look, but she snatched it back. Still, he caught Kuwabara's name next to his own, and even thought that he saw "ba-something-ra-ryou" among the listed kanji.

"That's privileged information!" Botan snipped, tucking the book away.

"Hey! Am I in there, too?" Kuwabara put in, excited at the prospect.

"Resurrected . . . ?" Shin started, but Seiji was nodding in understanding.

"Yeah, I remember when you were hit by a car saving a small boy. You were thought dead, but it turned out you were just in a coma . . . except you really _did_ die, didn't you? That's why you're on a given-name basis with a ferry girl."

Yusuke shrugged. "What can I say? Death's not all it's cracked up to be, so I decided to come back."

"As _if_ it was that simple!" Botan responded, her tone curt. "Do you have any idea how much energy it took Koenma-sama to bring you back?"

"Not likely, but Koenma has probably regretted every ounce of it since," Hiei quipped with a smirk.

"Hey, you stay out of this, Three-Eyes!" Yusuke growled.

Touma was frowning. "Koenma-sama? He isn't any relation to _Emperor_ Enma-sama, supposed 'judge of the underworld,' is he?"

"What?" Kuwabara commented. "Got no problem with youkai bein' real, but you don't believe in the Spirit Realm?" He waved the other's attention at Hiei, who pretended not to notice.

Frowning, Botan pulled her grade book back out. "Hashiba Touma, 15, only child of divorced parents, lives with his scientist father – when workaholic Dad remembers to come home from his lab. Proud, calculating, highly intelligent, an excellent strategist. Has little use for folk tales and superstition," she added with a sour glance at him.

Yusuke snickered. "Does it really say that, Botan, or're you just pulling Hashiba's leg?"

Ignoring him, Botan finished reading. "Current possessor and wielder of Heavens, the Ronin Elemental Armor of Air." She paused to glance at Rajura. "You and your companions are even in here, too . . . Kuroda Jirougorou." Rajura caught his breath at the utterance of his birth name but, before he could respond, Botan changed the subject. "Yusuke, Kuwabara, Kurama, and Hiei – you're all to come with me to see Koenma-sama. Ryo of WildFire, Shin of the Torrent, Touma of the Heavens, Shu of HardRock, Seiji of the Halo, Rajura of AridSand, Yamano Jun, and Nasutei Yagyu – I suggest you come along, too. Spirit Realm has found out a few things that you need to know. The rest of your team – Shuten of Verdance, Anubisu of the Glacier, and Naaza of the Harvest – should already be there by now, too."

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Ryo glanced around at his teammates and even Rajura seemed to defer to his decision. "Yeah, you bet we're in."

Botan nodded. "I figured as much. Now, a dozen people are too many for me to transport across the periphery so, Kurama, if you will, please open a portal. That will expedite things ever so much."

"Of course." Kurama stepped back, faced away from the group and began to concentrate, his left arm extended with palm flat forward. A golden glow engulfed his entire hand – the Ronins could feel the powerful Yoki in use – and once again a vertical doorway in space rippled into existence. On the other side, the Ronins could see inhuman creatures crossing back and forth on business of their own in a great hall, a few even pausing for a moment to glance across at them in passing interest before continuing on their way.

"Are . . . are those oni?" Shin queried in disbelief.

"Most of them. The rest are youkai. So, this way, please." Botan stepped through the portal.

Yusuke muttered, "Oh, yeah . . . this place again." He, Kuwabara, and a rather sullen Hiei followed.

Kurama motioned in invitation to the rest. "Please, after you, gentlemen. The portal will close as soon as I step through, so by necessity I must be the last."

8 8 8 8 8

Ryo, Touma, Rajura, Shu, Nasutei and Jun passed through, catching up to Yusuke and the others. Seiji hesitated alongside Shin, who paused to meet his schoolmate's eye. "So . . . 'Kurama,' is it? Heh, well, I guess we've both had our secrets to keep, then, haven't we?"

"So we have," Kurama rejoined with a small grin as he took in the sight of his friend's sub-Armor once again. Then he followed the two Ronins, the energies collapsing behind them.

8 8 8 8 8

Two figures stepped out of the shadows, one physical, one ethereal. The spirit had suggested that he and Mai split up to look for Shu, discreet but intentional in sending her away from danger.

-_W-where'd they go?_- Yugi frowned.

The spirit closed his eyes, concentrating through the Millennium Puzzle. At length, he shook his head. "All of their energies have completely vanished. I don't think they're even on this plane of existence anymore."

-_The Spirit Realm . . . I didn't know it was possible to go the Underworld if you weren't already dead. Is it?_-

The spirit waved him off with a small chuckle. "Aibou, don't look at me! I didn't make it there myself, remember?"

8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8

Just because the short youkai was not wearing his black cloak did not mean its passenger did not still ride along. _His shirt casts a nice shadow, too. So, the Spirit Realm, hm? This could have potential . . ._

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Author's Note: Please be sure to check my bio page for any updates, etc. Thanks!


	9. Chapter 9 The Realms

Disclaimer – Yu Yu Hakusho, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and Ronin Warriors (aka Yoroiden: Samurai Troopers) and all related characters, events, and concepts belong to their respective owners. I get no monetary benefit from this. My benefit is the enjoyment of dealing with beloved characters. If you recognize him/her/it, I don't own him/her/it. If you don't recognize, I might still not be the owner but it'd be best to ask. I'd appreciate it, anyway. ((grin))

"The Spellfire Saga – 1: Shards"  
by DragonDancer5150

Chapter 9 – The Realms

Botan led the company across the massive entry hall of a medieval stone structure, sounding like a tour guide as she explained things to the Ronins. "Welcome to the Spirit Realm, gentlemen, Nasutei-chan. This fortress is the palace of Enma-sama, judge of the underworld. Oh, that's the Gate of Judgment there behind you." In reaction to the off-handed aside, Ryo and the others turned with unabashed awe to regard the twin, red panels towering up the wall, at least fifty feet in height and each probably ten to fifteen feet across. "Come on, now. Don't dawdle. The admin wing is this way." Hiei ignored them, and Kurama was polite enough to pretend not to notice. For the two youkai, visiting the astral way station between "Heaven" and oblivion – and countless other possible destinations besides – was no longer any big deal. Yusuke, however, snickered openly at the expressions of overwhelmed disbelief on his companions' faces, including Kuwabara's for whom this trip was also a first. Shu shot out a quick hand to catch Jun before the boy could follow a particularly interesting group of youkai down a side corridor.

The group strode along the halls into another section of the fortress. One could hear the commotion well before seeing it. Passing through a set of sliding double-doors, the group entered a room filled with secretarial chaos. Oni dashed back and forth with piles of paperwork, desks overflowed with files, phones rang off their hooks . . . Touma was the first to put words to the Ronins' initial impression of the Spirit Realm Investigations Bureau.

"What is this? The Tokyo Stock Exchange? Dressed up for Allhallow's Eve?"

Yusuke nodded with a shrug. "Yeah, that was pretty much my guess, too, my first time here."

"Please show _some_ respect," Botan implored of the newcomers, then glared at Yusuke. "Not that I expect any out of _you_." Yusuke grinned at her behind her back.

They crossed the room to a private office at the back, where a handsome young man of their apparent age stood before a heavy, executive desk, leaning back against it with his arms crossed, a little blue pacifier in his mouth.

Hiei grunted.

Yusuke snickered.

Kurama allowed a small incline of his head. "Koenma-sama."

"'Hello' to you, too, Kurama." Koenma nodded before turning a scowl on his primary Spirit Detective. "What? I get really tired of being taken for a toddler, okay?"

"Y-you . . . have a pacifier – " Jun started to point out before Nasutei squeezed his shoulders in silent warning.

"Er . . . Koenma-sama – ?" Seiji ventured. He was about to say more, but a "_Yipe!_" from Kuwabara interrupted him.

Ryo gasped. "Byakuen? What are _you_ doing here?"

Now it was Yusuke's turn to gape as he shifted to meet vibrant, intelligent brown eyes regarding him from the face of the biggest wild cat he had ever seen. National Geographic could not boast a larger white tiger. The only thing that kept Yusuke from powering up his Spirit Gun against it, just in case, was the fact of the little blue, foot-and-a-half tall cross between a penguin and a lop-eared rabbit that sat perched on the great cat's head, looking quite comfortable. "Puuuuuu!" the little creature cried as he spread his ears and flapped across the room to land on the top of Yusuke's head.

"Dammit, Puu!" Yusuke protested as he snatched the creature down into his arms. "How many times do I gotta tell you – don't _do_ that! And . . . what are you doing here?"

8 8 8 8 8

The Ronins voiced the same question as Byakuen strode to stand among them, rumbling a greeting low in his chest. Ryo knelt down, and Byakuen pushed his great head into his person's shoulder, purring noisily. Jun threw his arms in an enthusiastic hug around the thick neck.

Kurama allowed a mild chuckle. "Yours, I take it?" he asked Ryo.

Ryo returned the grin with a shrug. "Actually, I think it's the other way around."

Hiei was staring with a frown of confusion. "That's . . . a spirit beast!"

"TI . . . t-ti-ger . . . b-big . . . " Kuwabara stammered in shock.

Koenma rolled his eyes with a long-suffering sigh. "Yes, Kuwabara, he's a tiger – or, rather, that's the form he chose for himself."

"He chose?" Nasutei queried.

"Yes. Hiei's right. Byakuen is what's called a spirit beast, just like Yusuke's Puu."

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"Puuuu!" the creature exclaimed with delight, snuggling down into his person's arms.

"P-puu!" Yusuke groaned, self-conscious even as he found himself giving an affectionate tousle to the tuft of unruly black hair on the top of the creature's head. Then, Koenma's words registered. "Wait, _what?_ You mean spirit beasts come in different forms? Well, why couldn't you have given _me_ something cool like a tiger? Why'd you stick me with a freakin' mutant teddy bear!"

Puu wiggled out of his arms, frowning at him. With a "puuu!" of protest, he flapped over to Kurama who, in turn, gave Yusuke an almost sheepish grin as the human turned that scowl on him. "Well . . . Keiko-chan's not here to run to when you insult him."

At the same time, Koenma huffed in exasperation. "Good grief, Yusuke! We've been over this before! _I_ didn't decide what he looks like. _You_ did. He's a product of _your_ heart and _your_ soul! You're just lucky he didn't turn out to be some nameless horror and devour you on the spot when he first hatched!" he added in a peevish growl.

Yusuke groaned, anything but mollified. "Wonder what a spirit beast of _yours_ would look like," he muttered in Kurama's general direction.

Rajura shook his head, impatient. "So, Byakuen is here. You said the rest of our team would be, too."

"Yes, where are Shuten and the others?" Nasutei put in.

Botan waved him off. "I said they _should_ be . . . shouldn't they?" She looked to Koenma.

"Keelin left right after you did. Ah, and here she is!"

The group turned around to the door to meet Shuten, Anubisu, and Naaza following a young girl with deep purple hair in a long braid over one shoulder, her slight frame wrapped in a kimono of soft greens and yellows. Yusuke did not recognize her or the men following her, but he heard Hiei's breath hitch and saw Kurama regarding the girl with affected eyes.

"You . . . " Hiei breathed.

The girl's pale violet eyes flicked to take in both Hiei and Kurama as she bowed, her voice soft. "Hello again. Please, excuse me." With that, she withdrew.

"Uh . . . Hiei . . . ?"

Kurama shook his head. "No, Yusuke, please . . . don't."

Yusuke gazed back at him, silenced by the quiet hurt he read in those green eyes. _Him and Hiei musta lost someone, and she was the ferry girl who took 'em away_. It was the only explanation, though he could not fathom whom it might have been.

Shuten went straight to Nasutei, giving her a light kiss on the forehead before standing behind her with his arms loose around her waist.

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Koenma cleared his throat. "Gentlemen, now that everyone is here, I believe introductions are in order. First of all, I am Lord Koenma. I'm sure you've heard of my father, Emperor Enma. This is my primary Spirit Detective, Urameshi Yusuke, and his unofficial partner, Kuwabara Kazuma. These two _are_ an official team, Hiei and Kurama, whom some of you know better by his human name, Minamino Shuichi. And this is my assistant, Ferry Girl Botan. Guys – " He turned to Yusuke and company. " – let me introduce _you_ to another unique team, the Ronin Warriors. They primarily operate in two sub-teams, according to their backgrounds and the powers of their specialized, mystical Armors. You already know the Ronin Elementals – Ryo of WildFire, Touma of the Heavens, Seiji of the Halo, Shu of HardRock and Shin of the Torrent. These two are Nasutei Yagyu and Yamano Jun. You can pretty much count them as a part of the team as well." A modest blush colored Nasutei's cheeks, and Jun grinned, pulling himself up straight as Shu gave an affectionate ruffle to his hair. "Of the Ronin Seasonals, you have also just met Rajura of AridSand. These are Anubisu of the Glacier, Naaza of the Harvest, and Shuten of Verdance. The Seasonals, along with another human by the name of Lady Kayura, live in a place called the City of Desire in the Demon Realm."

Anubisu frowned at that. "Nether Realm," he corrected.

Yusuke and company tensed at _that_. "The Nether Realm doesn't exist," Kuwabara growled, the memory of last weekend's battle still fresh in his mind.

"Excuse me?" Shuten startled.

"Whaddya mean it doesn't exist?" Shu wanted to know.

Yusuke folded his arms. "He means we just busted our _asses_ making sure a certain Big-Bad-And-Ugly didn't recreate his ages-extinct Nether Realm."

Naaza shook his head. "There must be some mistake. We have spent the last four centuries living in the Nether Realm, which is very _much_ in existence."

"Oh, brother," Koenma muttered to himself before the argument could escalate. He had the bridge of his nose pinched between his fingers, a pained look on his face. "I thought I remembered Dad saying something about that. All right, look." He lifted his gaze to meet the company's eyes. "Here's the deal. There are three main realms of existence – at least, that you have to concern yourselves with. On the Prime Material Plane, you have the Human Realm and the Demon Realm, the home planes of humans and youkai. On the Astral Plane, you have the Spirit Realm, which is sometimes also referred to the Underworld. Humans have to have a physical understanding of everything, so most civilizations have placed the realm of the afterlife underground – 'back in the womb of Mother Earth' and all that. The Spirit Realm was created by the gods to deal with the souls of humans. My father, Emperor Enma, is the ruler of Spirit Realm. Once upon a time, there was also a similar realm situated above the Demon Realm and that was known as the Nether Realm.

"Only the gods know how long ago, the Nether Realm's emperor, Lord Yakumo, tried to take over Spirit Realm so he could rule over the Human Realm, since the Prime Material Realms are the sources of the energy on which the Astral realms are built. There was a massive war, and my father's forces defeated Yakumo and his armies, banishing him and his three demon-gods to a prison in the far reaches of deep space. Over the ages, however, the seal on their prison weakened – and things have a tendency to happen with an odd sense of timing. Last weekend, right before you five – " He addressed the Elementals. " – returned from America, Yakumo managed to break free of his prison and tried to recreate his realm on the Prime Material Plane using the Human Realm as his main component." To the Seasonals, he added, "Because the Elementals were on a different continent at the time, they were not under immediate threat, which is probably why you were unaware of the danger, either. Anyway, yes, Yakumo was defeated – a really ugly affair, by the way – and so the _true_ Nether Realm was not brought back into existence.

"On the other hand, I do remember my father telling me once that the youkai Arago liked to call his little conquered corner of the Demon Realm 'The Nether Realm' because he had it in mind to do much the same thing. Yusuke, this was before your accident so you were blissfully unaware but, over a year ago, another force tried to do the same thing Yakumo did – merge a portion of the Human Realm with a portion of another realm as the basis for creating a new reality under his personal rulership. Instead of Spirit Realm, however, and not having Yakumo's Power Sphere, Arago tried with his part of the Demon Realm. You Ronins have always called it the Nether Realm because that is what he _told_ you it was called. As none of you are native to the place, you have never known any different and have not had reason to question." He pulled a deep breath. "And so, there you have it." He paused as everyone absorbed what they had learned.

* * *

Author's Note: Please be sure to check my bio page for any updates, etc. Thanks!

In case you're wondering who the ferry girl Keelin is that Hiei and Kurama should recognize her . . . "Hiei's Kittens" and "Hiei's Grief" took place only about five months ago (recently enough for the hurt still to be fresh) – two since the Dark Tournament to now and there were two months to prepare beforehand, when Toguro first issued his challenge to Yusuke, right after the "Rescue Yukina" arc. I figure there were probably a few weeks between the arc's "Maze Castle" and "Rescue Yukina" and HK/HG are set within that timeframe, between my other fics, "Partners, Friends" and "What Goes Around . . . ".


	10. Chapter 10 Mission Improbable

Disclaimer – Yu Yu Hakusho, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and Ronin Warriors (aka Yoroiden: Samurai Troopers) and all related characters, events, and concepts belong to their respective owners. I get no monetary benefit from this. My benefit is the enjoyment of dealing with beloved characters. If you recognize him/her/it, I don't own him/her/it. If you don't recognize, I might still not be the owner but it'd be best to ask. I'd appreciate it, anyway. ((grin))

"The Spellfire Saga – 1: Shards"  
by DragonDancer5150

Chapter 10 – Mission Improbable

For a long moment, no one commented. Then, Kuwabara nodded, though his tone was uncertain. "Yeah, I . . . I remember feeling like something weird happened, but I've never been able to put my finger on it. Even my sister couldn't tell for sure what went on."

Seiji shook his head. "No, you wouldn't. Arago's power did something to people so that no one has ever remembered or hardly even thought about any of that. You and your sister are highly unusual in that if you felt anything at all."

"And the feline spirit beast?" Kurama put in, still cradling a contented Puu.

Koenma met the tiger's deep brown eyes. "He was a gift – well, a partner, more like – to another Spirit Detective who served my father a thousand years ago, a warrior monk by the name of Kaosu."

The Ronins reacted in surprise. "Kaosu the Ancient?" "Really?" "Kaosu-sensei?"

"Well, yes. He never told you?" Koenma frowned. "Where do you think he got his staff? Magic artifacts like that don't grow on trees, you know."

"Koenma-sama, please," Shuten queried, "what _is_ a Spirit Detective, exactly?"

Yusuke folded his arms, glaring askance at his "boss." "Yeah. I know what the _original_ job description was."

"A Spirit Detective is someone employed to annoy, harass, and make a general nuisance of himself to the prince of Spirit Realm," Lord Koenma huffed back before turning to answer the question in earnest. "No, actually – the Spirit Detective is a Reiki-talented human who tracks down and apprehends errant youkai in the Human Realm. The beings that make up the so-called Demon Realm, youkai, are supernatural in comparison to humans. They are stronger, tougher, often much bigger – generally, even the weakest among youkai have all the advantages over humans any way you look at it. Most of the stories of monsters throughout history have all been based on youkai. Therefore, youkai simply are forbidden to enter the Human Realm. Kurama and Hiei, here, are among the very few exceptions, serving me by special arrangement as additional Spirit Detectives alongside Yusuke and Kuwabara."

A few among the company noted the slight tensing from both youkai but, as Koenma did not go into detail on their "special arrangement", they relaxed. Even Yusuke had never thought to ask them about that. He made a mental note to remember to do so in private the next chance he got.

"Because, on the human side, the periphery between the two realms is weakest over Japan, our Spirit Detectives have always been Japanese. However, after your fiasco with that sorcerer in America, I may have to revise a few policies."

8 8 8 8 8

"But that's neither here nor there for the moment," Koenma continued, shaking his head. Now that we have the basics out of the way, I want to discuss the more immediate reason for why you are all here."

Rajura nodded. "That armor that attacked us."

"Exactly. When my father's Spirit Detective, and your mentor, Kaosu vanquished Arago a thousand years ago, he could not completely destroy the youkai – he had grown too powerful – but he did successfully banish his soul back to Demon Realm. A banishment like that binds one for one thousand years, just it does to true 'demons' of the Abyssal Plane, which is why Arago was able to start trying to come back last year. But first, he had to find a way past the Kikai Barrier that Spirit Realm erected between the Human and Demon Realms in the past centuries since his first attempt. That's where you guys came in. Because we had to cover such an enormous span of space, the energy mesh is rather like a chain-link fence – there are holes but only youkai up to a certain 'size' in their amount of Yoki can squeeze through. _You_ two may start having problems if you become too much more powerful yourselves," he added to Hiei and Kurama. "Anyway, Arago found that, with enough Reiki and Yoki mixed together and pumped into the effort, he could force one of the 'holes' big enough for him to get through once the realms had been merged. Hence the nine tower-shrines he tried to bind you all into.

"But I digress again. You guys already know the story – well, _you_ guys don't, Yusuke . . . Arago was an A-class youkai who developed out of the ranks of youja by finding a way to bind into himself the evil energies of dark Reiki. Physically speaking, he was nothing more than an animated armor shell just like they are. When Kaosu banished Arago, only his soul departed, leaving behind his physical body, his armor. Because of the level of power he had obtained, his armor had become indestructible and, while it was whole, it would also provide a gateway for him to return when his thousand years' banishment was expended. There were two things that Kaosu did in order to prepare for that day. First, he resigned his position as Spirit Detective, desiring to turn his full attentions and energies to watching for and guarding against Arago's return. He asked a very special boon of his boss, my father, and it was granted – the aging of his body was halted, allowing him to continue to live through the centuries until Arago's return. In exchange, it was known that he would not survive the next war. He would have to give up his body and spirit, either willingly or by force. He would know when the time came."

The Ronins nodded, and even Byakuen allowed a soft, sad rumble at the memory. "Yeah, he sure did," Ryo murmured, "when he released all of his energy to create that bridge that let us get to the . . . Nether Realm, Demon Realm, whatever you want to call it."

Koenma nodded. "That's right. The sorcerer Badamon cast some ritual binding that kept spirits from coming to Spirit Realm so they could continue to fuel Arago's armies. However, because of the boon, the magic that had been maintaining Kaosu also allowed him to bypass the barrier, but his duty was not quite fulfilled. Some of you still lived under Arago's power, and none of you were prepared yet to operate completely without Kaosu's guidance." He looked to Shuten. "You were the one best situated to replace him until Kayura was freed, after which you were meant to retake your position as Armor-bearer and she would take her destined place as his heir. There were some . . . snags along the way but, finally, all of that was set right and here you all stand."

"So . . . what was the second thing this Chaos guy did when . . . Argyle-oh was defeated."

"That's 'Arago', Kuwabara. 'Kaosu' and 'Arago'." Koenma sighed. "The second thing Kaosu did was to un-make Arago's armor as much as he could. It could not be destroyed so, instead, he split its power into pieces."

8 8 8 8 8

"And where are the pieces now?" Yusuke wanted to know.

"Well, you're holdin' one of them," Shu put in, holding his hand out for his orb to be returned.

Yusuke did a double take as he realized that he did indeed still have the mystical sphere in hand. "What? You mean this orange, glowing shooting-marble-thingy? Here, catch." He tossed it to Shu.

"Yusuke, be careful with that!" Botan admonished.

"And we each wield the rest," Naaza added.

"The Nine Ronin Armors," Touma clarified, "are Arago's armor refashioned into new suits."

"So what does all this have to do with that _other_ armor?" Hiei inquired, speaking up at last. One could see that he was past tired of all the talking.

Koenma explained, "When Kaosu performed his ritual and he got to the 'breaking it up' part, somehow a sliver of metal escaped his notice – "

"Rajura, your dreams!" Anubisu gasped.

"Dream?" Seiji and Kurama prompted in unison.

8 8 8 8 8

Rajura heaved a deep sigh and recounted his dreams. The rest listened in silence, then pondered. At length, Koenma nodded. "That coincides with what I have discovered. It took digging since sometime last night, but here's what I've found out. There was an opportunistic thief who secretly followed Kaosu into that cave, having no idea what he was about to witness. However, when the breaking ritual was over and Kaosu moved nine pieces to another part of the caverns to undertake the forming ritual, the thief found a shard of strange metal. He took it home, meaning to sell it, but he could never bring himself to part with it. It wound up being passed down through the generations of his clan as part of the family treasure until someone decided to enshrine it in a suit of samurai armor. The shard itself was worked into the design of the breastplate. Each new clan head added something to the armor over the next generations – one clan head overlaid a new panel on the breastplate. That's why you didn't see the shard itself, but it's still in there. Unlike your Armors, which have the built-in Virtues, the shard is wholly evil, still being purely a sliver of Arago's heart and soul." On a thought, Koenma turned to Yusuke. "If Arago had raised a spirit beast like you did, it most _certainly_ would have turned out vile and rotten and would have devoured _him_ when _it_ hatched." Yusuke pointedly ignored him. "The shard, however, remained dormant until Arago's return last year but, by the time it gathered enough energy to do anything, Arago had been defeated."

"That helps to explain Rajura's first dream," Shuten ventured, "but what about the cleansing spellfire and the new Dark Lords?"

Koenma shrugged. "First _I've_ heard of it. I'll have my agents look into it."

"I wonder what made it pop up now," Jun wondered.

Nasutei shook her head, not having an answer. "Rajura, you started having those dreams just about the time we left to find Seiji."

"'Find' Seiji?" Hiei echoed with a frown.

Koenma nodded. "Yes, exactly then. My agents picked up the first readings while your plane was still in the air."

"And, until last night," Kurama added, "they disappeared just when you all returned."

"Whoa, talk about timing!" Shu marveled.

"Yeah, why is that?" Kuwabara wanted to know.

" . . . haven't worked that one out yet."

Yusuke stared at the astral prince with a shocked gape. "What? You can track down a sliver of magic metal from a thousand years ago, but you can't explain its behavior from yesterday?"

Koenma heaved an exasperated sigh. "Well, you know – if this was some fantasy story, we'd rather tidily be given all the answers. But it's not. Reality is, we _don't_ always know why things happen the way they do." He dismissed the matter with a wave. "Anyway, Yusuke, as Spirit Detective, your next mission is to make sure the Ronin Warriors successfully defeat this armor while not harming the human it has possessed. He is an innocent in this mess. Kurama, Hiei, Kuwabara – "

Kuwabara was nodding. "Yeah, got it."

Koenma turned to the Ronin Warriors. "As you have already discovered, the armor will try to possess you. It may or may not have the capability to reunite your own Armors into one single whole again and, quite frankly, I don't want to find out one way or the other any more than you do. These guys, obviously, are immune to that, not being Armor-bearers themselves, so they may be able to give you a hand in your task. Get the armor away from Sohma Chikara – or at least get the breastplate off of him. Don't touch the shard itself as it will again try to use one of you to accomplish its goal. Yusuke, get the shard and have Botan bring you back here. I will handle it from that point. Any questions?"

Shu pounded one fist into the other palm. "Just point us in the right direction. We'll take care of the rest."

Koenma nodded. "I have agents on constant lookout for the next place the energy signature shows up, and I'll send Botan to alert you. However, now that all nine of you are together, I seriously doubt it'll be too long before the shard makes its next move."

8 8 8 8 8

Touma had his arms crossed, a frown on his face, as he recalled something else that had been bothering him, forgotten until now over the situation with the possessed armor. "Koenma-sama, maybe there _is_ something else you can explain while we're at it. I witnessed some kind of entity summoned earlier today by the guy putting on the tournament that's playing out right now. Whatever it was, it was powerful – and the human that summoned it has no powers of his own that we know of."

Koenma nodded, frowning in turn. "You're talking about Kaiba Seto and a unique card called Obelisk, the Great War God. To be honest, I'm still learning the story on that one myself. He's played it twice now, once in one of his labs a few days ago, then on the street in an alley this afternoon. One of my agents overheard that there are two more unique cards out there on the level of that Obelisk creature, and they are what he's after by holding that whole tournament to begin with. The three cards have been called 'God Cards.' So far, that's all I know." He met everyone's eyes with a hard gaze. "For now at least, that's none of your concern. All you guys need to worry about is that armor. I'll let you know if this 'God Card' thing turns out to be a matter you should get involved in. That goes for you, too, Hiei." The youkai turned away with a grunted "Hn," throwing his cloak back around his shoulders. Koenma ignored it. "Well, you're not going to find anything standing around here. I have a lot of work to do, and so do you. Botan?"

"Yes, Koenma-sama." The ferry girl bowed, then turned to the company. "Gentlemen?" She turned to leave and the rest followed, heading back to the Human Realm.

8 8 8 8 8

Koenma started to head around his desk to sit down and return to his paperwork when he noted a scrap on the floor. He picked it up, and his breath hitched in his throat.

"_Lessons in Espionage and Reconnaissance 101: 'Basics for Beginners' –_

_"First of all, I would like to thank you for your information. It was most enlightening. Secondly, when giving details of a recon, do not forget to secure your perimeter. I now know exactly what you have planned. The lesson: try to do better next time. Do not make it _too_ easy for me."_

A drop of sweat rolled down the side of his face even as warmth filled his fingertips each place they touched the paper. Then, he yelped and dropped the note, watching it smolder to ashes on the floor. He stared for an instant longer, then bolted to the door of his office. "Wait! _Wait!_ Come back! Change of plans!"

* * *

Author's Note: Please be sure to check my bio page for any updates, etc. Thanks!


	11. Chapter 11 Round Two

Author's Note: Yes, I know canon gives Yami's original timeframe as being during the Eighteenth Dynasty, but there are reasons I take it as the 21st for my fanon. Too many reasons here to explain but drop me an email sometime you want to know why.

Disclaimer – Yu Yu Hakusho, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and Ronin Warriors (a.k.a. Yoroiden: Samurai Troopers) and all related characters, events, and concepts belong to their respective owners. I get no monetary benefit from this. My benefit is the enjoyment of dealing with beloved characters. If you recognize him/her/it, I don't own him/her/it. If you don't recognize, I might still not be the owner but it'd be best to ask. I'd appreciate it, anyway. ((grin))

"The Spellfire Saga – 1: Shards"  
by DragonDancer5150

Chapter 11 – Round Two

The scent of breakfast would surely wake the last of Nasutei's guests who had not already wandered into the kitchen or one of the bathrooms up- or downstairs in her secluded manor home. She had invited everyone to stay the night after the trip to the Spirit Realm so that they could remain together for safety and to work out the final details. Kuwabara was the only one who had needed to go home first to check on his lady, Yukina, whom he had left with his sister when Botan called him to duty.

The Elemental Ronins were regular guests in her home, and the Seasonals visited quite frequently as well. Shuten especially came as often as his duties would allow, as he and Nasutei were unofficially – by any Human Realm legality – married. The wedding had taken place at the castle in the City of Desire a number of months ago. Everyone had been there and was very supportive – including Ryo although, to this day, she knew that he still had feelings for her. Shuten and the others, they discovered, had to live in the Nether – '_Demon' __Realm_, she reminded herself. If they were in the Human Realm for too long, their true ages would begin to catch up with them. Something about the Demon Realm and the powers of their Armors sustained them but only for so long as they remained within those supporting ambient energies. A week away was about all that their bodies could afford.

She glanced over with a smile at Shin as he helped cook for fifteen people. The two together had often cooked for all nine Armor-bearers, plus herself and Jun, so four more were little trouble – though she wondered if the short, standoff-ish youkai, Hiei, would be eating with them. _Maybe he doesn't eat 'food' like we do_, Nasutei mused. Like the youja. To her knowledge, he had not even slept indoors. Yusuke had laughed that he would likely find a tree to camp in, and Nasutei got the impression that he was not really joking. Yusuke and his two friends had themselves "camped" on futons in the living room, as the six bedrooms upstairs were already spoken for. Nasutei and Shuten had taken over the master bedroom after the death of her grandfather during the war with Arago, Professor Yagyu having been the previous owner of the Yagyu manor. The room next to that had long before been turned into an office and library, housing Nasutei's computer and all of hers and her grandfather's research as well as his museum-quality collection of armor, weapons, and other Japanese artifacts. The other three Seasonals had thrown down futons in there. Ryo had the bedroom in the opposite corner of the house, Byakuen reclining on a rug on the floor. Jun slept in there, too, on a futon when he was over. Shin and Shu shared one of the other rooms, Touma and Seiji another. The last room had already been prepared for an old friend of Nasutei's whom she would be picking up from the airport in a few days – she was coming to live with Nasutei at least until she got herself on her own feet again – so Nasutei had asked that the room be left alone.

8 8 8 8 8

Kurama wandered into the kitchen for the second time that morning, still toweling his long hair dry. He had been among the first up and had offered to help with the meal, but Nasutei had assured him that she and Shin had things under control, instead offering to get him supplies to take a bath, which he had accepted with gratitude. He slid into a chair at the table next to Rajura, joining Seiji, Jun, Ryo, Shuten, and Naaza. Seiji had Nasutei's laptop computer on the table and was checking Duel Monsters game sites on the Internet for information on a so-called "god" card named Obelisk, if only to kill time until everyone was up and moving.

"Hey, Seiji-Big-Brother, what's _that_ mean?"

Kurama leaned over to see what it was at which Jun was pointing. "It looks like an invitation for the current tournament."

Seiji's brow furrowed. "This is interesting. It talks about, 'Gather where ancient duelists and card engravings are.' There are two links at the bottom of the page. One takes you to the official Battle City website. The other looks like . . ." He rolled the mouse over the link and clicked.

8 8 8 8 8

"Heh-heh. Hey, Torrent, how _do_ you share quarters with that rumbling-thunderstorm of a roommate?" Anubisu stepped off the bottom of the stairs just then and glanced to his left in the direction of the living room. "Ppfft! And I thought HardRock was loud, but you can hear that Kuwabara guy snoring from here!" Kurama only gave an apologetic grin and shrugged. "What're you looking at, Halo?" Anubisu leaned over Seiji's shoulder.

Following a few steps behind, Shu grunted in mock annoyance at his fellow's first comment. "Hey, I'm not that loud."

Seiji glanced up at his one-time nemesis. "It's the website for the Domino City Museum, though I don't know what it has to do with Duel Monsters." He was over halfway down a very long homepage.

Anubisu nodded. Last night, the Elementals had explained all about the card game and the tournament taking place at the moment, which everyone agreed had to be the "grand competition" part of Rajura's dream. He recalled the account of Kurama's cover for the fight with the possessed armor right before everyone had met up in the Spirit Realm.

8 8 8 8 8

Shu, also, had been looking at the computer screen as Seiji searched the site for a clue as to its connection with Battle City. Seiji had reached the bottom, and was scrolling back up, glancing the site over again before moving on. "Hey, wait! Seiji, go back down a little. There!"

"What? The Egypt Exhibit? 'A presentation of murals documenting the Twenty-First Dynasty of Egypt's pharaohs'."

"Yeah. Click on that. . . . I just got a feelin' about it, okay?" Shu persisted in spite of the dubious looks he was getting. On the new page, he pointed emphatically at a photo of one of the artifacts on display. "I knew it! I was right. Look at the eye-thing in that carving."

Nasutei glanced at the screen as she set a bowl of fruit on the table. "Interesting. I _would_ say that's the Eye of Horus except that it's facing the wrong way, if I remember correctly. I wonder if they flipped the image by accident somehow before posting it on the website."

Kurama shook his head, musing softly, "There _are_ two Eyes of Horus, if I'm not mistaken, right and left - "

If Shu heard him, he gave no indication, speaking up at the same time to answer Nasutei's last comment. "Nah, I doubt it, 'cuz the eye on Mutou-san's puzzle thing faces the same way."

"Mutou-san? Mutou Yugi-san, from school?" Ryo queried.

"Mm-hm."

"He had disappeared last we knew, remember? Yesterday afternoon," Shin put in, his tone worried. "I wonder if Kaiba-san ever found him."

"Friend of yours, HardRock?" Rajura commented at the same time.

"Yeah, sorta, I guess. He's two years ahead of me, but we have a class together." Shu explained in summary the encounter of two days prior, focusing on the sensations he had gotten when he handled the heavy gold pendant.

Kurama released a long, weighted breath. "I . . . may have some insight on that."

8 8 8 8 8

Kurama had hoped not to draw undue attention to the youth, especially with Hiei not having brought it up himself in conversation last night. Still, if there were any correlation between this boy's secret, the possessed armor, the tournament, the spy concerning whom Koenma had dragged the company back to his office before releasing them for good, and the mysterious power Hiei seemed to have attracted to himself . . . Kurama sighed. If there were any connections at all, he owed it to the group to lay them on the table. "Let us wait until everyone is assembled. I . . . must admit that even my friends Yusuke and Kuwabara are unaware of this information as of yet."

8 8 8 8 8

By the time an hour had passed, the rest of the occupants were awake and gathered in the kitchen/dining room. The makeshift extra table and added chairs Nasutei had produced for last night's late dinner were again utilized as the combined company sat down together, Kurama even having managed to talk Hiei into joining them. The anti-social youkai compromised by standing apart, leaned against the wall with his arms crossed and a mug of hot tea in hand. The requisite phrase of "We humbly partake" echoed around the table – Nasutei and Shin responding, "Think nothing of it" – and the company dug in. Kurama insisted that everyone eat at least a little before he started his report. Then, with care, he explained all that he and Hiei knew of the seven Items and the mysterious human spirits possessing at least two – with a possible third entity of unknown species attracted to Hiei as evidenced by the matching energy signature to those of the Millennium Items. It had taken action three times now and all in one day – twice in the fight at the castle in the City of Desire and once on the street here in Domino, when Hiei had been blasted into the building. Anubisu frowned but did not comment.

In spite of what Lord Koenma thought, the company agreed with Hiei's assessment – this boy warranted watching. The possessing shard of Arago's incorrigible Armor had chosen now to play its card, so to speak, during this specific tournament, and one of the few seriously favored to win was also the possessor of a very powerful relic. Perhaps there was no correlation, but no one wanted to take chances. Besides, as Touma had pointed out, Mutou himself – or his friend, Bakura, who possessed two of the Items – might be in danger from the company's foe.

"We don't know what the powers of these things are," the Warrior of Wisdom had pointed out, "but if I was a villain and I was aware of these magic items, I'd try to claim them myself to use against my enemies."

"Yeah," Shu breathed. He met Shin's eye, recalling his friend's earlier comment. "Sorry I forgot to mention, but . . . actually, I checked on Mutou-san right before dinner last night. I thought I remembered hearing once that his grandfather owns a store called the Kame Game Shop. I looked up the number, and I was right. Mutou's grandfather – or that might have been his dad – said that he had gotten home okay. Still . . . "

No debate was needed to reach a consensus on the next course of action. The company would return to downtown Domino, the heart of Battle City, keeping a discreet eye on Mutou and his friends until the shard of Arago made its next move, one way or another. As Koenma had opined, it was unlikely they would have to wait long.

8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8

"That slacker should have been here ten minutes ago. I've got Duels to win."

Yugi grinned at Mai's mock complaint as he glanced up at the clock on the pole behind them. The truth was, she was rooting for Jonouchi's success in this tournament as much as he was. Still, she was right. The two had met in the town square as promised. The only one missing now was Jonouchi. He turned back, beginning to worry, when he spotted a figure with a thick mop of sandy blond hair jogging down the street. "Here comes Jou-kun now."

"Hey, guys! Long time, no see," Jonouchi called.

Mai turned as Jonouchi pulled up to them. "Hey." She held up a hand, and he high-fived her. "Still in the tournament, Jonouchi-kun?"

"You bet!" Jonouchi replied, excited. "I'm already the proud owner of two puzzle cards."

"Then I guess I'm _twice_ as good." Mai held up four clear plastic cards.

"WHAT? You got four puzzle cards?" Jonouchi demanded in utter shock.

For a moment, Yugi feared Jonouchi would collapse to the pavement following his dropped jaw. "Awesome job, Mai-san! I've got three so far." Yugi decided not to mention the other two cards of Mai's that he was holding for her, the ones Shu had left behind, as each held out his and her cards for inspection.

"Aw, man! I got the least!" Jonouchi groaned, almost collapsing under his own melodrama. "How'm I ever gonna make it to the Battle City Finals!"

Yugi encouraged him. "Don't worry, Jou-kun. There's still plenty of time, and I _know_ you can do it! At least it's not like Duelist Kingdom where we needed ten counters to get to the finals. This time we only need six."

"Well, none of us are going to get to the finals if we're standing around here," Mai pointed out.

"Mai's right." Ever the first to bounce right up from any setback, Jonouchi turned to head out, full of confidence. "Watch out, 'cause I'm about to do some serious catchin' up!"

"Good luck and miss me, boys!" Taking a different direction, Mai hesitated just long enough to blow them both an audible kiss over her shoulder.

"See ya!" Yugi called after her.

Jonouchi shrugged. "Yeah, we'll see if the Goddess of Victory's in a generous mood today, eh? Later, Yug!" He jogged off.

Yugi paused to put his hand on the Deck box on his hip, anger welling as he recalled the warning he had received the previous afternoon through mind-controlled Pandora – beware the Silent Puppet. He swore aloud both to himself and to the spirit of the Puzzle currently withdrawn in the room of his soul, conserving his energies, "I know one of Malik's Hunters is after us, but I'll be ready for him."

Heading off as well, he recalled other new things he had learned within the past twenty-four hours. He had witnessed schoolmates exhibit possession of strange armors and stranger powers. He and the spirit had spent some time last night discussing what they had seen and what it could portend, and if it had anything to do with the Millennium Items. If nothing else, the debate kept both their minds off the possible consequences of the end of this tournament, if only for a time. However – he sighed heavily to himself – whatever was up with his friend Shu-kun and the companions with whom he had stood yesterday evening, Yugi needed to forget about all of that for now. He and the spirit had too much at stake in this tournament to let outside things distract them and keep them from Dueling at their very best. Shu would just have to handle things on his own for now.

Still, Yugi really hoped that Shu and his friends would be all right.

8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8

"_Aah!_" Shin retreated on instinct even as Shuten's and Kurama's quick reflexes had them hauling back on his windbreaker. He had been the first around a corner where the company could hear a great commotion, only to find himself gaping up at a nightmarish wall some fifteen feet high and stretching all the way across the street. Dominating the center of the wall was a female face with inhuman green eyes, fangs peeking out from beneath her upper lip. Violent red hair flared out to merge into the blood-red, fleshy substance of the wall itself, the support structure of which appeared to be formed of jointed bones, each "pole" tipped with a sharp talon the length of a man's arm. Before it stood a tall, purple-skinned demon with a flaring red cloak, great red-and-purple wings, and a wicked sword of yellow alloy. Facing these so that their backs were to the companions stood two equally bizarre and out-of-place monsters. One was a muscular dragon whose mauve scales were fine enough to make the creature's skin seem silky smooth, while powerful limbs rising off the backs of its shoulders supported wing-leathers of sea-green. The rough scales of its companion matched the purple demon in hue, with spreading leather wings and lots of spikes – including one between its shoulders where its neck should have been! The creature did have a head – two, in fact . . . one on the end of each arm. A rolling darkness roofed the field on the side of the wall and demon.

"What in the names of the gods . . . ?" Naaza breathed.

Rajura was shaking his head. "They're illusions."

"Uh . . . are you sure?" Kuwabara muttered. They looked real enough to him, though he did not sense either Yoki or Reiki from any of them. Come to think of it – he did not sense anything at all from them.

Ryo shook his head with a rueful chuckle. "He should be. His Armor, AridSand, specializes in mirages and illusions of all kinds."

Yusuke matched his sardonic grin. "Sounds like you speak from experience, Sanada."

"There's our illusionist right there." Seiji pointed to a preteen girl standing behind the dragons and apart from the gathered crowd, sporting a Duel Disk on her left arm. "Guess we can't see her opponent because he's behind that nightmare wall."

"Wall of Illusion."

"Hm?"

"Oh, heh . . . sorry." Shu shrugged with a sheepish glance around at his companions. "That's the name of the Monster. The other three are Swordstalker, Element Dragon, and Twin-Headed Behemoth. Looks like the other duelist has a field magic card in play, too, called Yami, the Darkness."

"Ah, man!" Kuwabara marveled. "The stuff me an' Yukina-san an' my sister watched yesterday was chump-change compared to this."

Kurama nodded. "The participants playing today are the survivors of yesterday's rounds, so naturally they will be quite strong."

"Yusuke!"

"Kazuma-san!"

"S'up, guys?"

8 8 8 8 8

The company turned at the sounds of female voices. Kuwabara was the first to voice a reaction, much to Yusuke's and Kurama's chagrin. "_Yukina-san!_" He all but danced over to meet Keiko, Yukina, and Shizuru.

"Dude!" Shu marveled, leaning over to Yusuke. "Didn't know Kuwabara-kun's voice could pitch that high." Yusuke only groaned in response, planting his face into one hand.

Keiko offered Touma a warm grin. "Hi, Hashiba-kun. I didn't know you and Yusuke know each other."

"Actually, Keiko-chan, we kinda stumbled across each other yesterday."

Yusuke bristled a bit that this guy should know his girlfriend, but Keiko recognized the brewing bluster and cut it off with a wave of her hand. "Yusuke, don't. Hashiba-kun's in my Calculus class at school."

That deflated the balloon. "Oh . . . right. Yeah, whatever."

Shizuru cocked her head at Kuwabara. "Well, little bro? You gonna acquaint us with your new buddies?"

Introductions were made all around, followed by a synoptic debriefing of the current string of events. Then, Kuwabara asked, "Hey, sis, you remember the guy that won the Duelist Kingdom tournament? Have you seen him around today?"

Shizuru shrugged as she took a long pull on her cigarette. "Mutou-kun? Yeah, caught a brief glimpse of him with his friend and that Barbie-doll from the semi-finals in the town square about an hour ago, but they split up and left before we got there."

"Do you think he might be in danger, too?" Yukina asked, worried.

"Well," Nasutei reasoned, "he _has_ already disappeared once, though that may or may not have anything to do with this armor we're looking for."

"Let's split up," Ryo suggested. "We can cover more ground that way."

The company separated into three groups. Ryo led a group that consisted of Kuwabara, Yukina, Seiji, Shuten, and Nasutei. Touma took Yusuke and Keiko, Anubisu, Shu and Jun, while Rajura, Shin, Naaza, and Shizuru followed Kurama. Due to the telepathic mindlinks afforded to the Ronins through their Armors, the three groups would be able to contact one another with ease and keep each other abreast of their findings. No one was surprised to note that, by the time the company shuffled into subdivisions, Hiei had disappeared.

8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8

_Hm . . . as usual, you separate yourself from the rest, swordsman. It is a dangerous habit that you practice. And you seek the Puzzle Master, do you not? All right – I will let you do my legwork for me_.

* * *

Author's Note: Please be sure to check my bio page for any updates, etc. Thanks!

"_**Itadakimasu**_" – "I/We humbly partake" is one rough translation of the phrase. Survival Japanese from Tuttle Publishing explains it this way: it is a "set, institutionalized phrase used when accepting food, drink, etc. Japanese mention this just before starting a meal even when it is not someone's treat; in a sense it is the Japanese way of saying grace."

"_**Doo itashimashite**_" – "Think nothing of it" is a response to the above if it /is/ someone's treat. Also translated as "Don't mention it" or "You're welcome."


	12. Chapter 12 Nameless

Author's Note: Please note – much of the dialogue of the next MANY chapters will be verbatim from episodes of Battle City (YGO). However, there will be marked differences. Aside from conversations adjusted for the presence of non-canon characters (those of RW & YYH), I have striven to stick to the original Japanese comments and information as much as I could, as much as I have sources for, blending the two versions as much as possible. Of course, if you can't tell where the differences are . . . I've done my job well. ((big grin)) Among other things, this chapter is meant to help answer a question from the YGO canon anime and manga – "what is a True Duelist?" – which is a REALLY important thread all through YGO's 2nd and 3rd seasons . . . but was completely edited out of the English dub version of the show.

Disclaimer – Yu Yu Hakusho, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and Ronin Warriors (a.k.a. Yoroiden: Samurai Troopers) and all related characters, events, and concepts belong to their respective owners. I get no monetary benefit from this. My benefit is the enjoyment of dealing with beloved characters. If you recognize him/her/it, I don't own him/her/it. If you don't recognize, I might still not be the owner but it'd be best to ask. I'd appreciate it, anyway. ((grin))

"The Spellfire Saga – 1: Shards"  
by DragonDancer5150

Chapter 12 – Nameless

"Jonouchi! Thanks to my barrier, _none_ of your Monsters can attack me."

"_There's_ an irritating voice if I ever heard one," Yusuke muttered. His group had been wandering for over an hour without luck, and he would have dismissed this duel as well, but Shu stopped walking at the sound.

The Warrior of Justice was frowning. "I know that voice. There!" He pointed to the middle of a wide avenue in the city park in which they stood, to a pair of duelists oddly deprived of an audience aside from two teenagers and an elderly gentleman of extremely short stature. The trio stood behind another teenager with a thick mop of blond hair. On his side of the field stood a squat knight in purples and blues and a great, purple-coated felinoid swordsman, both of whom seemed to be infected by some sort of parasitic, multi-limbed arachnoid. The panther beast even had a leg protruding from its mouth. Behind the two stood a giant card whose name read "Parasite Paracide" and featured a picture of a man's face with an insect burrowing into it. On the opposite side of the field stood a younger boy with a ridiculous Dutch-cut of silver-blue hair over large, thick-lensed glasses. A huge, pulsating cocoon of pinkish silk stood protected behind a fence of erratically-placed, glowing bars.

"That's 'Insector' Haga-kun, insect duelist and the Japanese National Duel Monsters Champion. The other guy is Jonouchi Katsuya-san. He's a friend of Mutou-san. I don't know the names of the other three, but two of them were with him and Mutou-san at Duelist Kingdom. I remember seeing them cheering from the sidelines."

Yusuke arched an eyebrow even as he and his companions paused to watch the duel. "Yeah? Well, something tells me he's not doing so hot against Bug Boy."

Unaware of their secondary audience, Haga continued his taunting. "And while I wait for my Great Moth to evolve, I'll start weakening your Life Points. Now, I summon Leghul. Attack his Life Points directly!"

"Looks like purple is the in-vogue color of the day," Anubisu observed, his tone dry, as Leghul materialized, a caterpillar-looking bug with a beige face and underbelly. The beast dove across the field, pinchers biting deeply into Jonouchi's leg before retreating back to its master's side.

8 8 8 8 8

Jonouchi snarled in shock, frustration, and pain. For a hologram, that damned thing hurt! "Aaah! How'd you do that? I still have Monsters on the field!"

Haga laughed at his distress, a grating sound to hear. "Leghul is able to bypass your Monsters. Your Life Points are in serious trouble, _and_ you still can't attack me! Care to throw in the towel, Jonouchi?"

"I don't think so!" Jonouchi declared. "I switch both'a my Monsters into Defense Mode." He operated a control on the cuff of his Duel Disk, and the two oversized swordsmen on his side of the field knelt, weapons poised.

"How sad," Haga gloated. "You know what happens in just three more turns. My Great Moth is born! But meanwhile – Leghul, attack his Life Points directly!" Almost too swift for the eye to follow, the beast darted across the field again to dig into Jonouchi's shoulder.

8 8 8 8 8

"Wow, that looks painful!" Keiko marveled. "These monsters aren't supposed to be anything more than elaborate holograms . . . but he's really getting attacked by that thing, isn't he?"

Touma shrugged, scowling. "The technology's called Solid Vision for a reason, I suppose. To be honest, this is the first time I've really seen it in action, at least for direct attacks."

"Shu-Big-Brother," Jun fretted, "he'll win, right? I've heard of that bug guy. He'll cheat to win at any cost. He can't win this!"

It very much looked like Haga would, however, as Jonouchi was forced to pass a second time, and suffer another bite from Leghul.

"Two turns, and you still can't attack me."

"Ah! I gotta pass _again!_"

"Just one turn to go. I promise you this: my Ultimate Great Moth is like nothing you've ever faced before or will ever face again!"

"He likes the sound of his voice, doesn't he?" Anubisu harrumphed.

"Yeah," Touma answered with a laugh, "like you've never been guilty of the same."

8 8 8 8 8

Honda thought so, too, and he was tired of it. "Enough with the moth, Haga. We get it!"

To Honda's surprise, Jonouchi waved him off. "Stay cool, Honda. This is just like when Yugi dueled that Rare Hunter an' I was freakin' out, but he told me that even when an opponent uses dirty tricks, a True Duelist must play honestly – an' win honestly."

8 8 8 8 8

"True Duelist?" Jun echoed. "Shu-Big-Brother, what's that mean?"

Apparently, it meant confidence to Jonouchi, who squared his shoulders with a grin as he drew his next card. "I play Alligator Sword in Defense Mode, an' I play another card face down to end my turn." The group watched an armored, humanoid alligator manifest, kneeling like his companions, followed by the appearance of an oversized card hovering horizontally over the pavement behind him. Without warning, an arachnoid like the other two sported erupted from the new creature's side, remaining attached to its host.

"Ha!" Haga crowed. "Now that creature is parasite food, too!"

"All right. I'm all set to face this big moth'a yours!" Jonouchi called back in a sing-song tone. "So why doncha bring it on _now_?"

"Nyeh, heh, heh – we're about to see exactly how ready you are! Time's up, Jonouchi. Ultimate Great Moth, erupt from your cocoon and reveal your supreme power!"

"Oh, please," Yusuke laughed. "How powerful can an overgrown butterfly be?"

Nose wrinkled in disgust as the creature emerged, Touma replied, "Dunno . . . but looks like Jonouchi-san's about to find out."

Shu was shaking his head. "No, Urameshi-kun, you don't understand. Mutou-san faced that thing at Duelist Kingdom and was barely able to defeat it – and it had _not_ been allowed to develop in its cocoon the full five turns." Beside him, Jun nodded, chewing on his lip. Shu remembered that Jun had been over at the Fuan residence that weekend watching the elite competition on television with him.

8 8 8 8 8

In spite of his words, Jonouchi found himself rooted to the spot in dread as the massive insect ripped free of the enclosing silk. He had, in fact, seen it once before – but not from this close, and it had not been him facing the monstrosity. "Man, that's big!"

"Behold the insect embodiment of your final destruction! It's all over for you, Jonouchi!" Haga's cackling filled the air alongside the shimmering particles flowing off the moth's wings.

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"Jonouchi-san's really got his hands full," Ryo murmured, exchanging looks of some concern with Seiji and Shuten.

Yukina looked up at him, worried. "He's the friend of Mutou-san's that I saw earlier, isn't he?"

Kuwabara nodded. "Yeah. They're real close, from what I get."

"Which means he could be a target, too," Shuten added, "especially if he is a fellow participant in this competition."

"What's going on?" Nasutei wanted to know.

Ryo briefly related the events to which Touma's group was currently witness. Yukina's hands went to her mouth in horror at the description of the winged monstrosity that had just arisen, but Kuwabara smirked. "I've seen Urameshi handle worse. Let's see what kind of a man Jonouchi is."

Just then, he and the three Ronins, and even Yukina, stiffened in alarm. They were across the town square from the park, in sight of the city museum. A powerful magic and an evil presence among the meandering pockets of people drew their attention so sharply, it ached in their minds. A boy about the Elementals' age stood facing the museum, his back to them. He paused for a moment, regarding the building, before climbing the steps to enter it.

"Say, that's Bakura-san," Ryo commented, recognizing him from among his Algebra tutor's friends.

Seiji frowned. "Yeah . . . except that I don't think Bakura-san himself is currently home."

"Bakura-kun?" Nasutei murmured. "I wonder if he's any relation to Bakura Yasashiku-san, the museum curator." At the looks of curiosity from the others, she explained, "I know of Bakura-sensei because he's also a professor and a friend of one of my research colleagues at the university. He took over almost a year ago after the mysterious death of the original museum owner, Kanekura Fenoru-san."

"Is this the other boy who possesses one of these mystical Items?" Shuten queried.

Seiji nodded. "Two, one of them being the other possessed Item, the one with the opportunistic spirit who seems to use his host for his own purposes, or so your buddy Hiei-san seems to think."

Kuwabara shrugged. "I dunno, but maybe we better follow him."

Inside the museum, the small group paced a cautious distance behind Bakura, though he seemed so focused on what lay ahead that they might well not have drawn his attention if they had tried. He strode with purpose, his hand up out of sight the entire time as though he were carrying something in front of him. Whatever sensation he followed, it led him downstairs into a basement room, and they listened as he considered aloud what he found, his voice deepened just a bit and twisted in a darkly ambitious sort of way that Ryo had only ever heard before from the Seasonals and once from Lady Kayura, before all broke from Arago's control.

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"What's this?" the dark spirit growled to himself as the five needles of the Ring stopped glowing and fell limp with soft metallic clinks to hang from their loops on the main body, no longer pointing him to the other Millennium Item it had sensed. "The force is gone!" He raised his eyes to take in the room into which he had just stepped. Stone statues of seated Egyptian figures and large painted wooden panels protected behind glass panes flanked him to either side while two great carven stone murals commanded attention in the wall ahead of him. "What have we here?" He strode across the room for better inspection.

Set into deep, glass-paned alcoves, the left-hand tablet especially took his attention. The design was equal parts graphic images and hieroglyphic text. Two humanoid characters dominated the lower half of the panel, opposing figures with hands outstretched to one another over a burning brazier.

The spirit of the Millennium Ring smirked to himself. "Must be the final confrontation between the Pharaoh and the one priest from back when. But what is it doing here? Why now?" He thought about it a moment longer, then shrugged. "Well, at any rate, something very interesting is transpiring . . . and I _will_ be part of it." With nothing more to learn here, he turned on his heel and marched back out of the room.

8 8 8 8 8

Ryo and the others just managed to turn and engross themselves in the nearest display, hoping to be dismissed as common museum visitors. Out of either ignorance or arrogance, they did not warrant so much as a casual glance as Bakura passed them on his way out. The group breathed a shared sigh of relief.

Yukina shuddered at the energies she had felt emanating from the human boy. "Something is very wrong about him."

Seiji nodded. "That evil spirit must be in control."

"Well, come on," Ryo urged, "before he gets out of sight." He started to follow, but Shuten was walking in the opposite direction.

The Warrior of Loyalty stepped up in front of the left-hand panel where Bakura had been standing just a moment before. Gazing into the faces of the two human characters at eye-level with him, he asked, "Who or what was this pharaoh Bakura-kun mentioned."

Nasutei nodded in understanding. Four hundred years ago, Japan had been an extremist-isolationist country. It stood to reason that even an educated scholar, such as her husband had been, would not be familiar with titles unique to another culture. "It meant the same as 'emperor' to the ancient Egyptians." She drew up next to Shuten, pointing at the right-hand figure. "He must have been referring to that one. The head dressing of the other denotes him as a priest, I think."

"It looks like the pharaoh is wearing an upside-down pyramid just like – " Yukina offered.

"_Mutou-san?_" Kuwabara and Ryo chorused in utter shock.

"Impossible," Seiji breathed, but the look in his eyes stated that he could not argue the observation.

"It's gotta be!" Ryo insisted. "_Nobody's_ got a wacky hairstyle like that but him."

"And the priest bears a striking resemblance to that Kaiba Seto-kun," Shuten mused. Through the Armors, Touma had shared the memory of his experiences with the young gaming mogul and his so-called "God Card."

"But how can that be?" Nasutei argued. "This mural must be thousands of years old!"

"Yes – three thousand, to be exact," put in a soft voice behind them.

8 8 8 8 8

The company spun in alarm, Kuwabara pulling Yukina behind him as the Ronins shifted, intent on protecting their non-fighter companions. Expressive blue eyes in a dark-skinned face met their cautious gazes, then turned to Nasutei. "Greetings, Yagyu-sensei."

"Ishtahl-san! Um, yes! Good to see you again. Thank you for your hospitality the other day." At the questioning looks from her companions, she explained, "This is Ishizu Ishtahl, director of the Egyptian Bureau of Archeology. We met last week when the museum celebrated the opening of this exhibit. Yoshimori-sensei from the Egyptology department invited me along as his guest. Ishtahl-san, please let me introduce you to – "

"Three of the nine Ronin Warriors: Fire, Spring and Spirit, yes. And you two, who come from, or deal intimately with, realms not of this one." Ishizu nodded to them, then allowed a small smile at their surprise. "My Millennium Necklace tells me many things, especially about those whose fates are intertwined so closely with that of the pharaoh."

"_That's_ one of the Items!" Ryo realized, "the one Hiei-san . . . _you're_ the one Mutou-san's spirit friend talked to the other day."

"You mean Mutou Yugi-kun," Shuten reasoned, addressing her "pharaoh" comment.

"I mean the spirit of his Millennium Puzzle." Ishizu nodded in answer to both comments.

"Huh? You mean that human ghost is really some ancient pharaoh dude – ?" Kuwabara gasped. "That dream! Hey, that must be why that ghost-lord guy looked just like Mutou!"

Ishizu nodded. "Neither of them is aware of it, but one of the reasons the Millennium Puzzle chose Mutou Yugi is due to his distant bloodline extending back to the pharaoh himself – one of many reasons."

Seiji was frowning. "What did you mean that our fates are intertwined with Mutou-san and this pharaoh?"

"I know that you are aware of the seven Millennium Items. You followed the Millennium Ring, knowing that the spirit it contains was in possession of the young man who was just here. I do not know who he is, but beware of that possessing spirit."

Kuwabara groaned. "There's a lotta possessin' spirits goin' around today."

Ishizu allowed a rueful smile. "Agreed. Still, you were meant to be here all the same. The Armor shard you seek is merely a poor reflection of the forces that have begun to stir, and Battle City but the first battle in the coming war. The pharaoh's soul has been reawakened, and he seeks his lost memory in this tournament, but that memory is only one key the enemy needs."

"Key?" Nasutei echoed.

"What enemy?" Shuten queried at the same time.

Ishizu shook her head with a frown. "I wish I could tell you more, but my visions are incomplete. When he was here, I did not tell him of this because he needs to concentrate on his more immediate goal for now.

"There is a power out there somewhere seeking to break free of an eons-old imprisonment. Three thousand years ago, the pharaoh thwarted one of its most powerful agents. We do not know exactly how or why, but it resulted in his soul's imprisonment in the Millennium Puzzle until such time as that enemy made its next move and a suitable partner for the pharaoh could be found."

Kuwabara frowned in deep concern. "Mutou. Seems like a tall order for such a little guy, don'cha think?"

"Do not underestimate him," Ishizu admonished. "Mutou Yugi has a power all his own. Together with the pharaoh, they are an impressive team. Add their friends, and they become quite a force to be reckoned with."

Shuten nodded. "There is much truth to that, I'm sure. You say that the shard is a 'poor reflection' of other forces at work. We have learned that there is something – or 'somethings' – whispering to the entity that resides in the shard. What do you know of this?"

Ishizu's brow furrowed as she released a soft sigh. "Only that there is a great collection of forces of immense power calling out to all evil things, beseeching their aid. They are currently sealed, but already many agents have answered the call. They will target the pharaoh and any who stand with him." She met their gazes, imploring them. "Please, do not let him stand alone."

8 8 8 8 8

The quiet fear in her eyes struck a chord deep in Ryo's heart of Righteousness, and he vowed, "No, he will not stand alone. The Ronin Warriors were brought together to fight such evil things. If this pharaoh guy needs them, the Ronin Warriors will be there. You can bet on it!" Seiji and Shuten nodded agreement.

"Yeah," Kuwabara put in. "A real man doesn't back down from a challenge. If somethin's threatenin' the Human Realm, then I, Kuwabara The Man, will make sure they're put in their place an' they _stay_ there!"

"Thank you," Ishizu murmured. "I'm sorry. Much has been on my heart lately. Ultimately, there are two possible outcomes of this Battle City Tournament. It is vital that the pharaoh triumphs so that he may regain his memory and overcome . . . the one who seeks to thwart him." She had seemed about to say something else but chose not to.

"But, Ishtahl-san, I don't understand," Nasutei commented. "How can a card game win back someone's memory?"

"You have heard by now of the Three Egyptian God Cards? The pharaoh must come into possession of all three in order to awaken his memory. In Battle City, he will fail or he will succeed in this. He has only this one chance, or else the Gods will be lost to him forever."

8 8 8 8 8

This time it was Yukina's brow that furrowed at a thought. She had been listening in silence, but there was one point that bothered her. "Ishtahl-san, please forgive me, but didn't you say that this person's memory will help unlock these evil creatures? I-I'm sure he wants his memory back, but . . . "

Ishizu frowned. "Yes, I know what you are thinking. 'Wouldn't it be best if he never regained it?' Fate works in strange ways. There is someone out there who seeks his life – his and his partner's with him – and in order to defeat this person, the pharaoh must gain all three God Cards, which in turn opens the way for him to reclaim his memory. He is meant to have it back – just as you all are meant to help him, you and your friends."

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Seiji studied her. "This other person you mention – you know this person, don't you?" He had not missed the almost pained expression at each mention of the unnamed villain.

Ishizu did not answer right away. In a quiet voice, she admitted at length, "His name is Malik. He belongs to the ancient Clan of the Tombkeepers, just as I do, a clan that has guarded the pharaoh's tomb and his secrets for three thousand years. He . . . is also my brother."

No one answered that for a long moment. "I'm sorry," Seiji ventured at length before getting back to the topic. "Something else we have heard of is something called a 'spellfire'. Can you tell us anything about that?"

Ishizu considered it. "There are three Gods who have been haunting my dreams: Obelisk the Great War God, Osiris the Sky Dragon, and the Winged Dragon of Ra. The visions have been filled with powerful flames which I had thought to belong to Osiris and Ra, but . . . I may have misinterpreted parts of the visions. I will have to think on that."

Shuten cleared his throat. "Do you know anything else that we should be aware of?" he queried gently.

Ishizu shook her head, one hand going to her collarbone so that the fingers brushed her golden chocker with the Eye symbol in its center. "I will contact you if anything further should be revealed." With a small bow, she turned to leave.

8 8 8 8 8

Ryo realized something before the woman could part company with them. "Hey, Ishtahl-san, I gotta question for ya. This exhibit of yours is all about the pharaohs, right? So which one _is_ this one?" He jabbed a thumb over his shoulder at the panel behind them, at the figure that bore a striking resemblance to his present-day schoolmate. "You haven't even told us his name yet."

Ishizu smiled, an air of mystery in the expression. "Because I do not know it. No one does, not even the pharaoh himself."

* * *

Author's Note: Please be sure to check my bio page for any updates, etc. Thanks!


	13. Chapter 13 Beating the Odds

Disclaimer – Yu Yu Hakusho, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and Ronin Warriors (a.k.a. Yoroiden: Samurai Troopers) and all related characters, events, and concepts belong to their respective owners. I get no monetary benefit from this. My benefit is the enjoyment of dealing with beloved characters. If you recognize him/her/it, I don't own him/her/it. If you don't recognize, I might still not be the owner but it'd be best to ask. I'd appreciate it, anyway. ((grin))

"The Spellfire Saga – 1: Shards"  
by DragonDancer5150

Chapter 13 – Beating the Odds

Unaware of the meeting in the museum concerning his best friend, Jonouchi continued to stand tall against his dishonorable opponent, still unaware of his secondary audience of schoolmates and their friends observing from a distance.

"Your parasite-infected Monsters _still_ can't attack me," Haga boasted.

"Well, it's not over yet!" Jonouchi heard Yugi's voice in his mind, deepened slightly by the presence and control of the other Yugi, even as he uttered the words. How many times had he heard the other Yugi make the same declaration? In this tournament, Jonouchi had promised himself and the other Yugi – both Yugis – that he would become a True Duelist and face him/them in a Duel of Honor when they had both made it all the way through Battle City. Only then could Jonouchi rightfully reclaim his beloved Red-Eyes Black Dragon that Yugi had won back for him from one of the Rare Hunters. Jonouchi knew that two of the steps in becoming a True Duelist were never to turn his back on a challenge, and always to play with a stronger opponent. As much as he despised the thought, Jonouchi had to admit: dishonest Haga definitely qualified for the latter. Still, just has he had never seen Yugi give in no matter how badly tipped the odds were against him, Jonouchi Katsuya would never surrender a Duel, not before his Life Points were absolutely zero.

However, while they were not there yet, Jonouchi knew that if he did not figure out something soon, the Life Point counter on his Duel Disk would rapidly approach that.

"Give it up, Jonouchi! Now that my Ultimate Great Moth has emerged, you're as good as squashed, and your two puzzle cards are mine!"

"You wish," Honda growled.

Anzu called, "Zap that big bug, Jou-kun!"

"Stay focused," Sugoroku rejoined.

"You'll be saying good-bye to Battle City in no time, Jonouchi."

"Whatever." Jonouchi truly was weary of Haga's blustering.

"Prepare to witness the devastating power of my Great Moth. Destroy his Alligator Sword, now!"

Jonouchi could only brace with his arms up across his face in protection as the destruction of the reptile warrior resulted in a blasting wind that physically washed past him.

"Come on!" Honda urged. "You must have some kinda giant flyswatter or somethin' in your Deck."

"What are you, his pom-pom girl?" Haga sneered.

That got Honda's goat. "Don't _make_ me come over there!"

"Look. Thanks to the parasite living on his side of the field, all of Jonouchi's cards are now Insects, allowing my Insect Barrier to block every one of their attacks. Besides, only the Gate Guardian and the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon have enough attack points to defeat my Great Moth, and I doubt that he has either of them in his pathetic Deck."

8 8 8 8 8

"Shu-kun," Keiko fretted, "is that terrible thing really that powerful?"

Shu nodded reluctantly. "That ugly bug's attack points are 3200, way more than just about anything else in the whole game without the boost of magic or trap cards – and I'd be surprised if that Haga guy didn't up his over-inflated butterfly just outta spite! I hate to say it, but . . . I dunno if Jonouchi-san can win this."

8 8 8 8 8

In spite of himself, Jonouchi was wondering much the same thing. _How'm I ever gonna crush Haga's Great Moth! That thing's too strong, an' none of my Monsters can attack anyway! C'mon, Deck, show me some love!_ He drew. _Yes! Just the card I needed, baby. Look out, you little vermin. Jonouchi's got a plan!_ "I place one card facedown – " Another oversized card materialized, floating inches over the concrete in front of him. " – an' switch all'a my Monster cards to Attack Mode."

8 8 8 8 8

"What?" Yusuke gaped. "Has he lost it?"

Touma shook his head. "No. Look at his eyes. He's got something up his sleeve."

8 8 8 8 8

Standing behind him, Honda and the others could not see the fire in their friend's eyes and found themselves thinking the same as Yusuke. "Did I hear Jou-kun right?" Sugoroku startled.

"How can Jou-kun attack Haga's Moth when his Monsters are weaker?" Anzu wanted to know.

Honda could only think of one answer. "The pressure's finally gotten to him. He's crackin' up!"

"Unless," Sugoroku murmured, "he's doing what I think he is."

8 8 8 8 8

Overhearing the elderly man's comment, Anubisu looked to Shu. "And what might that be?"

Shu shook his head with a shrug, completely at a loss. "I wish I knew."

"Bring it on!" Jonouchi challenged.

"Nyeh, heh, heh, you got it!" Haga drew and no one liked the enormous grin that split his face as he saw what the new card was. He played it facedown on his Duel Disk. "I doubt that a fool like you has anything sneaky planned but, just in case, I'll place this Monster in Defense Mode." A card shimmered into existence on his side of the field. "Now, you remember Leghul, don't you?" He snickered when Jonouchi failed to respond, glaring back in defiance. "Perhaps I should refresh your memory. Leghul, bypass his Monsters and attack his Life Points directly!" This time, the worm-like Insect rolled up in a ball. Jonouchi growled as he further braced his stance, but the creature bowled into him, slamming him back to the pavement with the blow and a powerful electrical shock.

Anubisu shook his head. "Why doesn't he at least _try_ to block or parry the beast or something?"

"Because ultimately this is 'just' a game, and there are rules to follow," Touma reasoned. "Even if Jonouchi-san successfully parried the physical strike of the Solid Vision hologram, the game mechanics will still sap his scoring points. Realistically, there's nothing he can do to keep from taking the game damage. Besides, he doesn't look like the type to back down from a fight."

Anzu gasped, "Get up, Jou-kun!"

"Now," Haga continued, "since you put your parasite card in Attack Mode, and it's technically your weakest Monster on the field, I'm going to attack it, which will knock your Life Points down to zero!"

"How cowardly is that?" Yusuke grunted.

"Well, yes and no," Shu put in. "It's part of the game mechanics. The number of Life Points you lose is the difference in Attack points between two Monsters. The more powerful your Monster and the weaker your opponent's, the bigger bite you can take out of your opponent's points at a time. That parasite card is only a Level 2 Monster with 500 attack points. The difference between it and Great Moth is enough to wipe Jonouchi-san out of the Duel in a single attack."

"It's still cowardly," Yusuke insisted with a growl.

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"Finish him off, my Great Moth!"

Jonouchi pulled himself back to his feet as the Great Moth's wings began to beat, filling the air with iridescent particles. He operated a control on his Duel Disk, then waved his hand over the facedown card on his right-hand side, the card rising to stand vertically with the electronic commands that had transmitted to the holographic projectors on either border of the field. "Nice try, bug brain. Reveal Skull Dice!" A little chibi Halloween-style demon with a huge red, six-sided die emerged from the card, which in turn disappeared. As Haga gaped and the cartoony beast dropped his load, Jonouchi explained, "This card will reduce your Monster's power dependent on the roll of the die, so the higher the number, the weaker your Moth gets." Both sides watched with bated breath as the cube bounced around the field a few times before coming to rest. "What? A two? Ah, well, it still cuts the Attack points'a your oversized pest in half." The onlookers watched as a counter appeared on the field, the numbers dropping from 3200 to 1750.

"That was a sad attempt to survive, Jonouchi. My Moth can still blow your parasite to pieces!"

"Don't count on it. I'll reveal my other facedown card." Jonouchi adjusted another control, and the remaining card stood up. "The magic card, Graceful Dice!" The process repeated, this time resulting in a chibified, Halloween cherub in a red top hat with little wings, carrying a blue die. "Part Two of my ingenious master plan. The higher my roll, the stronger my parasite Monster will become, you little termite! Bet'cher sorry you snuck that into my Deck now, huh?"

8 8 8 8 8

Yusuke snickered. "Haga doesn't like that at all!"

"Heh . . . nope." Shu shook his head.

8 8 8 8 8

"Hoh! It can't be!" Haga exclaimed at the same time.

"I need a four'r higher ta swat'cher Moth." Again, breaths were held as the cube danced across the concrete before stopping. "All right!" Jonouchi crowed. "Parasite Paracide's Attack points multiply by four ta 2000!" The card physically grew to reflect the change as a 2D screen appeared momentarily beside it to count up the points.

"Ah! I can't watch!" Haga gasped as the multitude of segmented arms wiggling from the depth of the card embraced the Great Moth, squeezing the life from it.

"Say b'-bye ta your bug!"

Haga cried out in shock and horror, cowering back from the blast of vapor as the Great Moth disintegrated in a shower of electronic sparks.

"Up high!" Honda hooted in elation as he high-fived both hands with Anzu.

"I _knew_ Jou-kun could do it!"

"Great Dueling!" Sugoroku congratulated.

From the sidelines, Yusuke shook his head in wonder. "Well, I'll be damned."

Drawing his next card, Jonouchi smirked, "That's right, Haga. Jonouchi's back."

Haga was throwing a toddler's temper tantrum. "My Moth! My precious, precious Great Moth! You squashed it like a common fly! Grrrrrr – you'll _pay_! This Duel isn't over yet, Jonouchi! _Not_ by a mile!"

"Hah! Bring it on, Haga! I'll exterminate all your little critters."

"You won that round, but my next surprise will win _me_ the Duel and send you packing."

"Hah, we'll just see about that, Haga!"

"Yes, we will. Hah! First, I'll play this." He whipped a card from the collection in his hand. "Tada! My Insect Soldier of the Sky." The card appeared standing vertically, the mosquito-like bug pictured on the front manifesting in 3D in front of it. "Next comes a magic card, Eradicating Aerosol. This card has the power to destroy any Insect card on the field, and since all of your parasite-infested Monsters are still Insects, I _could_ take one of them out, but I have even bigger plans. So I play Pinch Hopper." The facedown card next to the Insect Soldier turned and stood up, its Insect manifesting in 3D. "And now I can destroy my own Insect!"

8 8 8 8 8

"It's official – that Haga guy's cracked."

Shu shook his head at Yusuke. "I dunno. Haga-kun didn't make National Champion for nuthin'."

8 8 8 8 8

Honda wondered if that achievement had been a fluke. "What gives?"

Sugoroku thought he understood. "Once Pinch Hopper goes to the Graveyard, Haga can summon any Monster from his hand!"

"Any Monster?" Jonouchi echoed.

"Yes!" Haga hissed in triumph. "Eradicating Aerosol, now! Destroy my Pinch Hopper!" A woman's manicured hand erupted from the card, bearing a green spray can. Pesticide vapor washed over the giant cricket, and it exploded in pixilated shards. "Heehee, now I can summon a creature whose attack power is virtually limitless. Haha! Insect Queen! She's my rarest card and, if played the right way, is totally unstoppable. Prepare to lose it all, Jonouchi!"

8 8 8 8 8

"He's already said that once," Jun complained.

"More than once; I've lost count," Yusuke rejoined.

Still, gasps of dismay sounded around the park as a horror of impossible size emerged from the card, towering over Jonouchi and his two swordsmen.

"You may have defeated my Great Moth, but my Queen will trounce you puny defense and wipe out your Life Points! Now you will face a power like no other!" The group on the sidelines watched as the carapace on the back of the massive thorax split open, filmy wings began to beat, and the front end of the creature raised up to reveal a hideous face with a maw full of terrible fangs. "Say good-bye to Battle City!"

"Yeah, he's said it already," Touma allowed, "but from the look on Jonouchi-san's face, he might really mean it this time."

8 8 8 8 8

"If you think my Insect Queen is powerful now, just wait until you see her special function. She absorbs the Attack points of every Insect on the field."

"It's still got less then your moth, an' I creamed that thing."

"You weren't listening," Haga smirked. "She absorbs the points of _every_ Insect, yours included!"

"Mine? That's right! My Monsters're still considered Insects because'a that stinkin' parasite!"

"Exactly! Now, absorb their power, my Queen!" Before everyone's eyes, Insect Queen grew even larger as she and Jonouchi's Monsters, as well as Haga's Leghul and Insect Soldier, all took on a brilliant golden radiance for a moment. The monstrosity now stood some twenty feet in height.

"That's a thousand more attack points!" Jonouchi cried in dismay.

"Oh, come _on!_" "Oh, no!" Honda and Anzu exclaimed.

"Jou-kun!" Sugoroku called. "Remember, Insect cards can be extremely tricky, and to battle an insect duelist, you have to _think_ like an insect duelist. You destroyed his Great Moth, and you can destroy his Insect Queen."

Haga's simpering laugh vexed the ears once again. "And now I give my Queen another power boost. I sacrifice Leghul!" They watched in disgust as Insect Queen took up Leghul in her front limbs and devoured the creature before their very eyes. "The more she feeds, the more powerful she becomes."

Anzu turned away, and Honda looked equally ill. "Ah, now that's just disgusting." Shu agreed as he made Jun look away while Keiko turned her face into Yusuke's shoulder.

"Insect Queen, attack! Annihilate his Little Wing Guard!" Insect Queen reared back before letting loose with a brilliant breath attack of fiery energy. Something akin to smoke washed from the hapless victim with a hiss like steam or acid, and Little Wing Guard disintegrated into a pile of purple goo before disappearing altogether. "And now your Monster is bug juice, and you lost some serious Life Points." Jonouchi's LP counter dropped from 2800 to 1000. "And it gets better. With every Monster my Queen destroys, she lays an egg." The abdomen pulsated, and a brown-spotted ball dropped to the pavement amid a mass of sickly green slime. A stat screen of 100 points appeared briefly next to it. "Haahaahaahaa! These eggs let her keep the extra Attack points even after the Monster is destroyed! Heeheehee! Plus, when these eggs hatch, I'll have an entire Insect army!"

8 8 8 8 8

Jonouchi scowled, desperately considering his options. _I gotta scramble those eggs before any munchkin Monsters hatch. They'll be on me like a swarm'a killer bees! But as long as Haga's Insect Barrier's in effect, I can't attack! Even if I do summon a Monster, that parasite card will turn it into a bug an' then his Insect Queen will absorb its Attack points an' get stronger! There's _gotta_ be a way outta this._ "Here goes nothin'," he declared as he drew his next card, glancing at it briefly before setting it on his Duel Disk. "I'll place one card facedown on the field an' end my turn."

Haga grinned in triumph, and Sugoroku gasped. "Jou-kun, you forgot to switch all your Monsters back into Defense Mode!"

"Huh?"

"Tough luck. Now there's nothing defending your Life Points against my attacks!"

8 8 8 8 8

Yusuke could not help but feel bad. From the look on his face, Jonouchi knew that he had made a mistake that would cost him the Duel.

"Time to finish you off, Jonouchi!"

The only thing Jonouchi could do was brace for impact.

"Oh, no!" Sugoroku cried. "If Jou-kun's attacked now, his Life Points will drop to zero!"

Haga held up a card. "Heh! So long, Jonouchi. I summon Cockroach Knight to feed my Queen." Again, the Monster devoured her victim, laying a second egg. "And whenever my Cockroach is destroyed, it returns to the top of my Deck so I can keep sacrificing it to increase my Queen's strength."

Jun let out a sympathetic moan. "Poor Cockroach Knight! He's gonna get eaten over and over again!"

"The Monsters aren't real, Jun-chan," Touma reminded him. "They don't feel anything. They're not aware of what's going on at all because there's nothing there. They're just holograms."

"I don't know," the boy murmured.

"And now, my Insect Queen, attack! Your Life Points are history!"

To everyone's surprise, Jonouchi only smirked. "Don't be so sure, Haga."

8 8 8 8 8

"Huh?"

"Let's see if you kin guess what's beneath Card Number One!"

"No! Not a trap card! You kept you Monsters in Attack Mode on purpose, didn't you?"

"On the nose! An' because you fell for it an' went for the kill, it's time to pay! Activate Magic Arm Shield." An enormous telescoping grabber arm shot out of the raised card, reaching for the airborne bug hovering high over the field.

"My Insect Soldier of the Sky!"

"My Magic Arm Shield lets me defend myself against your attack by usin' one'a _your_ Monsters ta deflect the blow!" Haga watched in helpless anger as the scissor grapple swung his Insect into the path of his Queen's attack just as she let loose. The beast disintegrated, taking the trap with it, and the company watched Haga's LP counter register a heavy loss. "Now who's points're history?" The Insect Queen laid another egg.

"Grrrrr – you may have blocked one attack, but you're just prolonging your defeat."

"Ugh!" Anzu moaned. "I can't stand him!"

Honda assured her, "Jou-kun'll shut 'im up as soon as he destroys that Insect Queen."

"What's the matter, Jonouchi? Did your flea-sized brain run out of ideas already? There's no way out. I've researched all your cards, and I know they're all Warriors. If you summon any one of them, they'll be infested by the parasite! And thanks to my Insect Barrier, you _still_ can't attack! Meanwhile, my Insect Queen will continue to get stronger and lay eggs that will hatch into a swarm of Insect warriors!"

Jonouchi drew a card. "Don't count your eggs yet. To protect my Life Points, I'll put both my Monsters in Defense Mode."

"Nyeh, heh, heheee – looks like someone's running out of options, but relax. I promise I'll finish you quickly." Haga drew and held up his next card without bothering to look at it. "You recognize this? It's Cockroach Knight again. Eat and grow strong, my Queen!"

"And now, attack his Panther Warrior!" Acidic energy exploded from the horror's mouth and pieces of armor crashed to the ground out of the resulting vapor cloud. "Heeheehee – another one bites the dust!"

_Aw, man_, Jonouchi moaned silently. _The only thing standin' in between Haga an' my Life Points is that parasite card. I gotta summon another Monster if I wanna squash 'im, but whatever I summon will become infected by the parasite an' feed his Insect Queen!_ He noted in dismay as another egg hit the concrete. _An' once those eggs hatch, I'm in _real_ trouble._

"Time to hand over you two puzzle cards and go home, Jonouchi! Hahahahaaaa!"

8 8 8 8 8

"Are you sure they don't feel anything?" Jun fretted.

Yusuke ground one fist into the other palm. "Ya know, I don't like to make a habit of fightin' normal humans anymore . . . but I may hafta make an exception."

"Get in line, Urameshi-kun," Shu growled, the Justice virtue of his Armor pounding at the back of his mind.

* * *

Author's Note: Please be sure to check my bio page for any updates, etc. Thanks!


	14. Chapter 14 Heart of a Duelist

September 11, 2007 – For those who may have read this once already and are excited to see "new chapters" being posted, my apologies. Please read the new note at the beginning of Chapter 1, as well as my updated bio page. Basically, I've been going through a process of restructuring my stories, including shorter chapters, which consequently means _more_ chapters, hence the more-than-twenty "new" chapters to this completed fic. An explanation of what chapters the reviews match to that dated before today are in that note as well. Thank you for your understanding. ((grin!)) Please note also that there is a . . . character who has seen some changes in appearance . . . when she's let herself be known at all. ((wink))

Disclaimer– Yu Yu Hakusho, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and Ronin Warriors (a.k.a. Yoroiden: Samurai Troopers) and all related characters, events, and concepts belong to their respective owners. I get no monetary benefit from this. My benefit is the enjoyment of dealing with beloved characters. If you recognize him/her/it, I don't own him/her/it. If you don't recognize, I might still not be the owner but it'd be best to ask. I'd appreciate it, anyway. ((grin))

"The Spellfire Saga – 1: Shards"  
by DragonDancer5150

Chapter 14 – Heart of a Duelist

Staring up at a nightmare now easily grown to forty feet over his head, Jonouchi could no longer deny the impossibility of his situation. _Maybe Bug-boy's right. I used up my best cards already an' that Queen's _way_ too strong!_

8 8 8 8 8

Yusuke found himself muttering under his breath. "Never give up, Jonouchi. If I've learned nothin' else, I've learned that. _Never_ give up!" His companions looked at him in both empathy and curiosity.

8 8 8 8 8

"Hang in there, Jou-kun! We're all behind you!"

"_Trust_ yourself, Jou-kun. Trust your _Deck!_"

Jonouchi heard the shouts of encouragement from Anzu and Sugoroku, but he closed his eyes, head bowing. His arm with the Duel Disk hung at his side, limp with discouragement.

Honda growled, not about to let his closest friend give up like this. "Jonouchi!" he demanded, fist raised. "Don't you want to be a True Duelist? Don't you want to challenge Yugi?"

The words shocked Jonouchi, too, but for a far different reason. His head snapped up as his mind went back to yesterday morning.

_Other Yugi turned from the fallen Rare Hunter, holding up the precious card. "Here you go, Jonouchi." At Jonouchi's hesitation, he frowned in confusion and urged, "It's all right. Take it. It's yours."_

_Jonouchi shook his head. "No, I can't take it right now, buddy. If I take it back so easily, I won't be a True Duelist. The Red-Eyes wouldn't accept it, either." He sighed, grinning a little at the slight concern in his best friend's gaze. He knew that there were two people staring back at him from within those eyes, and he addressed both of them as he explained, "You are a True Duelist. You're always with me. When I Dueled alongside you at Duelist Kingdom, I was fightin' for somethin'. That's why I came here. You always play honestly with any opponent. You really gave me a lesson – what I lacked is the Duelist's self-esteem. The Red-Eyes Black Dragon is my special card; he's always my partner. That's why I can't take him now. If I did, the Red-Eyes wouldn't be happy." He had been gazing up at the tranquil clouds overhead, but he turned in that moment to look down at the bright purple eyes watching him, meeting them in all sincerity. "Yugi, you can have the card temporarily. I prepared a Deck of forty cards for today's Duels. With these cards, I'm still qualified for the tournament. I still have a rare card that I can use as my ante – the Time Wizard that you gave me. I want to be a True Duelist. In Battle City, I gotta show you. When I win in this tournament, when I become a True Duelist . . . please, play with me again."_

_Yugi listened in silence, giving serious consideration to his words. At length, he nodded with a smile. "I understand, Jonouchi – and I accept your challenge. We'll wait until then."_

_From the slightly deeper tone of voice, Jonouchi understood that it was still the Other Yugi in the foreground and had spoken the words, but he also knew that the hearts of both souls were in the utterance. Jonouchi offered his hand and they shook on it, nodding encouragement to one another before parting ways to seek the Duels that would bring them both a step closer to fulfilling their promise._

Jonouchi gasped. He had a promise to keep, a promise that meant more to him right now than anything.

"You can do it, Jou-kun!" "Don't let that little bug push you around!" "Believe in yourself, Jou-kun!" Anzu, Honda and Sugoroku continued to call to their friend.

"Just give it up, Jonouchi!" Haga countered. "It's over!"

A new determination in his eyes, Jonouchi glared across the field at his deceitful opponent. "Jonouchi Katsuya doesn't quit. Maybe you'd understand if you had somethin'a _real_ importance to fight for! Come on!" he called as he drew. He looked at the card. _Yeah! Now that's what I'm talkin' about_, he crowed silently. _Heh, looks like things're startin' to turn around!_

8 8 8 8 8

"All right!" Shu grinned at the look in Jonouchi's eyes. "Musta drew somethin' good."

"You are finished! You _know_ Parasite Paracide will infect any Monster that you summon."

"I'll place one card facedown an' summon . . . Gearfried the Iron Knight!" The two cards appeared before Jonouchi on the field, the upright one dissipating as its avatar took form in front of it – a proud swordsman in impressive black armor trimmed in silver-blue.

Touma frowned. "His attack is only 1800, nowhere near enough to make a difference, even if he could attack with it which, because of Insect Barrier, he – " He stopped with a gasp. "Unless . . . "

8 8 8 8 8

"You fool! Once your knight has been infected by my parasite card, he'll just be another snack for my ravenous Queen!"

The company looked on as the Parasite Paracide slid up behind Gearfried, tentacles waving hungrily – and failed to penetrate!

"Don't be so sure about that, Haga!" Jonouchi declared. "Some cards're bug proof!"

Haga shook his head in disbelief as the parasite card gave up trying to infect Gearfried and slid back into place. "What's wrong? Why can't the parasite feed on it?"

"He's Gearfried," Jonouchi pointed out in triumph, "the _Iron_ Knight, an' that slimy parasite's helpless against his metal armor!"

"How'd _you_ figure that out?" Haga demanded, his expression clear that he was unwilling to accept Jonouchi being anything more than a common, ignorant wannabe.

Sugoroku scowled in defense of his one-time student. "He did his homework, Haga. You should have known that Parasite Paracide wasn't able to feed off of metal. And you call yourself an expert insect duelist?"

"Awesome!" Honda crowed. "That means the knight can smash through the Insect Barrier an' attack!"

"An' I got a perfect plan to wipe out your Insect Queen, Haga!" Jonouchi added. "An' my plan starts with those eggs."

"NOOOOO!"

"Gearfried the Iron Knight, attack the Queen's eggs an' lower her attack power!"

Haga watched in horror as the knight rushed his side of the field, ducking under the Insect Queen's bulbous abdomen to take the top off of one of her eggs, destroying it. "Aauugggghh! That's _it!_ Next turn, you're bug food!"

"Yeah! All right!" Jonouchi's cheering section whooped.

"Jou-kun remembered her weakness," Sugoroku observed. "The Queen needs her eggs to keep her Attack points high. If they're destroyed, she gets weaker."

"Every time the Insect Queen chows on an opponent's Monster, she boosts her Attack points an' she lays another egg," Jonouchi put in, "but until they hatch, those eggs're defenseless! An' now that your Insect Barrier can't stop my attacks, I'm free to wipe 'em out! So tell me, Haga, does Insect Queen like'er eggs poached'r sunny-side up?"

"Grrrr – enjoy this while it lasts, cuz after my turn, I'll be one Duel closer to the Battle City Finals. No one gets away with disrespecting my Queen like that! Prepare to be pulverized as I power up my mighty Insect Queen with even more Attack points! First off, I will summon Soldier Ant, then activate the magic card Ant Reproduction." Haga placed both cards in their appropriate spots on his Duel Disk. He cackled as one Ant materialized, then two, then more. "Watch them multiply into an Ant colony!"

Touma groaned. "Doesn't this guy ever shut up?"

Jonouchi huffed in exasperation. "What now?"

"I'll explain. This card takes one Ant and turns it into an army of ten for the length of my turn. I think you know what's next – right, Jonouchi?"

"Queenie's gonna absorb the Attack points'a each one an' get even stronger."

"That's right! And now that my mighty Queen's done powering up, it's the end of Jonouchi Katsuya _once and for all!_"

"Oh, no!" Keiko gasped as the great Queen inhaled deeply and began to breathe her lethal acidic energy.

Jonouchi braced his stance even as he moaned in dismay.

"Oh, oh!" Sugoroku cried. "If Haga destroys Jou-kun's Knight, this Duel is over!"

"Good-bye, Jonouchi! And now, my lovely Queen, destroy his scrap heap of a knight and what's left of his Life Points!"

Suddenly, the confident smirk was back on Jonouchi's face. "You grub! I was hopin' you would attack me."

"You _were?_" Haga gaped in disbelief.

"All part'a my plan. Activate trap card, Graverobber!" A cheery little imp emerged from the risen card, sporting ragged green clothes and oversized cap, bearing a small scythe and a tombstone strapped across his back.

"Not Graverobber!"

"Yep. He can take a card from your Graveyard an' let me use it against ya!" The chibi figure darted across the field and back, returning with a card in its grip in place of the scythe. "An' he just nabbed your can'a aerosol!" The imp spun around to show off its pilfered treasure. The feminine hand with the spray can emerged, unleashing a great cloud of pesticide. "Time to exterminate your _Quee~een_!" Jonouchi declared in a triumphant singsong. The monstrosity reared back, roaring in protest as vapor streams flowed from her body and she vanished. "_Yeeaaaahhh!_ There goes my pest problem!"

Haga looked like he was nearly in tears at the injustice of it all. "What have you done to my _Queen?_"

"But wait! I'm not through with you yet, In-suck-tor Haga." The Knight's eyes glowed in anticipation, and he leaped into action at the command. "Gearfried the Iron Knight, destroy another'a his eggs an' the rest of his Life Points!" Haga backpedaled from the rushing Knight, crying out at the demolition of the last of his defenses. "Welcome to Loserville, Haga. Population: you."

"I . . . I-I lost? I don't believe it!" Haga sank to his knees in abject shock.

"All right!" "You sure showed that little sneak!" "Way to go!"

Jonouchi disengaged his Duel Disk and returned all of his cards to the Deck box on his hip. Gearfried and Graverobber faded from existence, the holographic projectors retracting into position, and Jonouchi marched across the pavement. "All right, Haga, cough 'em up! Your Insect Queen an' _two_ puzzle cards!"

"Have mercy," Haga begged, his voice a pathetic quiver.

"Mercy? No way! You should'a thought'a that _before_ you decided to cheat. Now, just like at Duelist Kingdom . . . you're outta the tournament!"

Haga collapsed backward, all but passing out with the pronouncement.

8 8 8 8 8

As Jonouchi claimed the promised prizes from his fallen opponent, a whoop of childish excitement off to the side caught his and his friends' attention. "Yeah! All right! He won!"

"Oh! Well, hey there! D'ja enjoy the show?" he asked the little boy as he took in the group. Then, he realized that he recognized two of their number. He was a bit surprised to see them standing side by side as they were, deciding not to mention the near-fight he had witnessed the other morning. "Urameshi, isn't it? And Shu? Hey, you're in my buddy Yugi's PE class. He told me what ya did for 'im the other day. Thanks, man." He offered his hand as the group approached.

Shu accepted, shaking it. "Hey, no prob. It was nothin'. Man, that was a great Duel!"

8 8 8 8 8

Touma traded meaningful glances with the others before commenting, "Yeah! Say, would you mind if we hang out with ya for a while, maybe watch some more duels?" He could think of no better way to keep an eye on this friend of Mutou-san's just as they had discussed back at the Yagyu manor.

Jonouchi exchanged looks with Honda and Anzu, his smirk saying it all. Jonouchi Katsuya was developing a fan base! "Yeah, sure! Jonouchi'll show ya how a _real_ Duel is played! But hey – ?" He looked questioningly at Shu. "Yug told me that you're a Duelist, too. Said you was dueling Kujaku Mai yesterday, but ya had to quit an' take care'a somethin' . . . ?"

Shu shifted uncomfortably. "I – yeah, I had to take care of somethin' pretty important. I'm not participating in the tournament anymore."

Jonouchi studied him for a long moment. Yugi had told him on the phone last night about that Duel and much more, but he decided to keep it to himself for now. He had not had a chance to tell Honda and Anzu what he had learned and doubted that Yugi would have let his grandfather in on it. Well, if Shu and his buddies hung with him and his long enough, maybe he would get a chance to see something of what Yugi had talked about. Then, too, there was the look in Shu's eyes. Jonouchi had wondered what could make a Duelist skip out on a Duel unless it was cowardice, but now he knew better. Shu looked like he truly regretted having to leave that Duel, and Jonouchi felt badly for him. "I'm sorry to hear that. Say, when this tournament thing's over, would ya like to have a Duel with me? Jus' for fun?"

Shu grinned. "Yeah! I'd be honored."

"Me, too. Well, come on, then, everyone! We're not gonna find any more Duels standin' around here!"

8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8

Several onlookers gazed up at a massive television screen on the side of a building, having witnessed a version of the entire Duel via virtual recreation of the streaming information every Duel Disk in play sent to Kaiba Corps' mainframe computers.

"Wow," someone marveled, speaking for all, "what a duel! I can't believe Jonouchi-kun pulled it off."

"He wasn't a finalist at Duelist Kingdom for nothin'!"

Hearing his best friend's name as he passed by on the sidewalk, Yugi paused to gaze up along with the rest at the stats on the screen, including puzzle card count. _Awesome! Jou-kun's almost made it to the finals!_ Pulling his Duel Deck from the Deck box on his hip, he separated out the powerful black dragon card. _Soon, I'll be able to return his Red-Eyes, too! I sure am looking forward to that. But first . . . Malik warned me about someone – or something! – called the Silent Puppet. Where is he?_

High above, Yugi remained unaware of two separate sets of eyes gazing down on him: one fierce ruby under unruly black hair with white-rimmed bangs . . . the other equally red and glowing in flickering darkness.

* * *

Author's Note: Please be sure to check my bio page for any updates, etc. Thanks!


	15. Chapter 15 Throwing the Gauntlet

Disclaimer – Yu Yu Hakusho, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and Ronin Warriors (a.k.a. Yoroiden: Samurai Troopers) and all related characters, events, and concepts belong to their respective owners. I get no monetary benefit from this. My benefit is the enjoyment of dealing with beloved characters. If you recognize him/her/it, I don't own him/her/it. If you don't recognize, I might still not be the owner but it'd be best to ask. I'd appreciate it, anyway. ((grin))

"The Spellfire Saga – 1: Shards"  
by DragonDancer5150

Chapter 15 – Throwing the Gauntlet

The day had dawned brightly enough, but even now clouds began to gather on the horizon – a physical manifestation, a warning, of the intangible things to come. The sky was not quite properly overcast, the shadows rather thin as of yet. Even so, the most limited of true deep shade was operable enough for one whose very existence stemmed from the blackest Dark.

Glowing eyes followed the dwarfed figure on the street below, their owner relieved at the sight of him. _It is good to see that 'they' are no longer in harm's way . . . at least not yet. It is unacceptable that any damage should befall either one of them before their time is upon them – the Pharaoh and the Puzzle Master. I will ensure this personally if I must_.

8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8

In the middle of the town square, a small group rested for a moment around a central fountain. So far, they were the only group with nothing to tell, having received the reports of Jonouchi's duel and the visit to the museum. Shizuru stepped away a few short feet, putting herself downwind of her companions as she lit a new cigarette.

"With all the warnings and the health information these days, I have to say it rather surprises me that people still smoke," Shin ventured in a quiet voice. He did not know her very well yet, but the habit was disgusting enough in his opinion to say something.

Shizuru pulled deeply on the cigarette, shrugging as she released the smoke-filled breath. "Something will kill me eventually. I might as well choose the way I'm going to go." Before putting it away, she took a moment to finger the lighter in her hand, an expensive piece of enameled black with solid, 24-carat gold trim. Her thumb brushed lightly over the "S" monogram in the upper right corner.

8 8 8 8 8

Kurama maintained his silence . . . this time. The unhealthy practice had been a point of minor debate between them for weeks now, ever since he had gotten to know his friend's older sister at the Dark Martial Arts Tournament a few months ago. She was dear to him as one of the few real friends he could afford to allow himself, one of the few who knew his secret, and he did not like at all that she deliberately harmed herself in this manner.

8 8 8 8 8

Rajura, as usual, had taken up a sort of reflexive guard position, surveying the immediate area. "What in the world is that?" The figure registered as a living human to AridSand, but no living person could be capable of holding himself so impossibly still . . . could he?

The others turned to see what it was he meant. At the edge of the wide circle of pavement of the town square, what appeared to be a vaguely Goth-dressed mime stood stock still on a bench, his hands raised up flat as if resting against an invisible wall in front of him, perfectly unblinking eyes gazing with a blank stare into an unseen distance. A quartet of teenagers loitered in front of him.

"This dude hasn't moved in, like, three hours!"

"Duh. He's a mime, genius. He stands there all quiet-like an' we're s'posed to be impressed."

"I don't it get, you guys. Is he, like, pretending to be a statue or something?"

"Earth to Mime-Dude! Is anyone home in that bald head of yours?"

"Hm." One of them took a step closer, waving her hand up in front of his face. "Hello? Are you gonna move or what?"

No doubt it was invisible to the mime's immediate audience, but those gathered at the fountain a few yards behind them saw it clearly – a sudden symbol of brilliant gold flared into existence just then on his forehead, sharply ovoid like a football . . . or an eye.

Rajura gasped. "It's that dark energy again, the same as what has been hovering around your friend Hiei."

"Something's communicating with him," Shizuru stated with a nod.

"Damn," Shin muttered. "If I didn't know any better, I'd almost say that's a version of our Armor virtues." At the questioning looks from Kurama and Shizuru, he explained, "Under certain circumstances, the powers of our Armors create a glowing kanji of energy on our foreheads, a visible manifestation of our Armor virtues."

Naaza scowled. "Something tells me that's anything but a symbol of virtue."

The girl in front of the mime backpedaled as his eyes snapped down to her without warning. Then, he reached into his shoulder bag, produced a Duel Disk, and slid his arm into the cuff on the bottom side. Disregarding his small audience, he leaped over their heads without a word and took off running.

"What the hell – ?" Shizuru started, her cigarette forgotten.

"We will have to follow him to find out. Come on!" Kurama did not wait for his group to follow as he pounded off after the mime.

8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8

Perched up underneath a bridge, ruby eyes watched two figures standing at the edge of the waterway – one who cast a reflection in the water at their feet, one who did not. _How ironic_, Hiei thought to himself. Only a week ago and a few miles away to the north and east in Tokyo proper, he and his companions had fought a massive battle across just such a waterway – and something told him that this one would see a similarly pivotal altercation very soon. It itched in his Jagan, which was open so that he could be privy to both sides of the conversation from this distance. He noted once again and with some amusement how the two below looked like older and younger brother, the spirit manifesting fully a head taller than his host. Hiei wondered if the spirit really had been the boy's sibling perhaps lost in some accident.

8 8 8 8 8

Yugi stood gazing in silence into the water for the span of several heartbeats, his hands in loose fists at his sides.

Similarly contemplating the small gentle whorls in the water around the grasses as the edge, hands in the pockets of his ephemeral slacks, the spirit glanced sidelong at his partner. -_What are you thinking?_- He flinched a little, remembering the conversation that resulted from the last time he had asked that question. Not that it was a negative thing, but it brought up other, sad thoughts.

Yugi forced a smile and shrugged. "Oh . . . nothing much."

-_Aibou, you are very good at many things_,- the spirit teased with a grin, -_but you are a terrible liar._-

8 8 8 8 8

Yugi allowed a chuckle. "Probably something I shouldn't practice at, either, huh?" He did not look up just yet, hesitating a long moment. "I . . . I was thinking . . . about your memories, and about the Puzzle and everything that's happened since I solved it. You know that it took me several years to solve. Heh, it took _forever_ – but when I finally did, I met a very important friend." He glanced up at the spirit through his golden bangs, a little embarrassed, but determined to say aloud what was in his heart. He turned more fully to face this closest of friends, continuing, "You've given me courage, my other self, and now I have lots of friends. It's all because of you, Nakama."

The spirit frowned, shaking his head. -_No, Aibou. You did that all on your own. I have given you no such thing. Jonouchi, Honda, Anzu, Bakura, Mai, Otogi – you've made all these friends all on your own, by your own power._-

"By . . . my own power?" The spirit nodded, confident, but Yugi was not so sure. "My own power. Well, whatever power I have, I lend to you now. Just like I said yesterday, it's my turn to stand by you. We'll fight together!" A sudden pang of uncertainty tightened in Yugi's chest, and his gaze fell back to the water as he added, "Although, I don't know that I can be of much help."

-_Yugi! No, don't _say_ that. Never say that_.- Yugi looked up again, surprised by the emotion and conviction in the spirit's words. The spirit gave him a heartfelt smile. -_Aibou, it's because of you that I am _able_ to fight_.-

Yugi could only stare back for a long moment, at a loss for words. He knew that it was far more than access to a physical body to which the spirit referred. Was he really saying what Yugi thought? That Yugi was a source of strength for the spirit as well somehow?

Before Yugi could question his meaning, he saw the spirit tense and turn over his shoulder. -_I sense a darkness approaching._-

"Wha – ? I don't see anyone," Yugi murmured, looking around as the spirit withdrew back into him.

8 8 8 8 8

Hiei braced from his perch under the bridge. He did not see anything, either, but he certainly sensed it – a fell power, echoing of the same energy patterns as the Puzzle and the unknown entity that seemed to have found him. He turned the attention of the Jagan to find its source, but by then it had arrived.

8 8 8 8 8

"Show yourself!" Yugi demanded just as footsteps drew his attention up to the bridge over the waterway on his right.

"Yugi!" a strange voice called, as an even stranger figure leaped the bridge's railing, sliding effortlessly down the concrete embankment to the sidewalk below. Yugi had never seen anyone quite like him. The piercings of nearly a dozen tiny hoops perforated his face in several places. Thick black eyeliner made bulging, unnaturally staring eyes seem even bigger, a bald pate also enlarging the appearance of his head. An iron collar encircled his neck from which a short chain hung, the end weighted by a sizable padlock. Perhaps the _least_ surprising thing about the newcomer was the Duel Disk riding his left arm.

"Who are you?" Yugi wanted to know.

"Prepare to Duel and lose your Puzzle!" The voice reverberated in an unnatural fashion – in such a way Yugi had heard only two times before now.

"Malik!" Yugi growled. He could not see it himself but, through the spirit, he noted the glowing Eye on the person's forehead. _This must be the Silent Puppet he warned us about_.

"Yes, although soon you will be calling me Pharaoh! Meet my mind slave, the Silent Puppet, and thanks to the power of my Millennium Rod, he shall defeat you."

_He still won't face me in person!_ "Coward!" Yugi cried in furious accusation.

"We'll meet soon enough, Yugi. Until then, why should I waste my time when I can Duel you through my mind-puppets? Battling with the power of my Millennium Rod is no different than you using your Puzzle to fight."

8 8 8 8 8

From his hiding place, Hiei snorted. _It's very different. You choose to hide rather than face your own fights. Sounds to me like you use your Rod strictly as a shield behind which to cower rather than a sword with which to battle outright_.

8 8 8 8 8

The words angered the spirit to his core and, as livid as he himself was, Yugi willingly withdrew to allow his friend to step forth and answer the grave insult to his honor.

"That is not true!" the spirit snarled. "You _abuse_ the power of your Millennium Rod, forcing your servants to do your dirty work by taking control of their minds against their will!"

"Hmph – this one _has_ no will. Either way, this is a Duel that was destined three thousand years ago. No matter what you say, you cannot escape that." Though his blank facial expression never changed, the controlled mime laughed, scoffing, "You call yourself a pharaoh? You don't even know how to _use_ your power, so Destiny has chosen me to take the power of the pharaoh away from you."

The spirit scowled. _Power?_ he wondered. _What is this power you keep talking about? Do you mean the Shadows? But . . . you wield them too . . ._ "I do not run. If it is my destiny, Malik, then I accept your challenge."

"Very good, and if I win this Duel, my puppet will immediately kill you!"

8 8 8 8 8

Hiei tensed. _Not if I can help it, coward – and I think I'm bit faster than your mindless flesh-toy_.

8 8 8 8 8

A predatory snarl vibrated inaudibly through the fabric of primeval Darkness, barely held in check by the present and urgent need for silence and secrecy. Nevertheless, the Oath was powerful and devoid of compromise. _You _will NOT!_ You may not have that which _I_ have claimed. The Puzzle Master and the Pharaoh are _MINE! Power rippled, repositioned, placing into the best location from which action could be taken with the greatest possible efficiency.

Under the shoulder bag of the mindless servant, there was quite a deep shadow.

8 8 8 8 8

From within the spirit's heart, Yugi warned, -_Be careful! Remember, Malik has God Cards at his disposal._-

-_Hn. Don't worry, Aibou. I can defeat God_.- As the spirit turned his attention back out, he called, "Malik! Make your move!"

* * *

Author's Note: Please be sure to check my bio page for any updates, etc. Thanks!


	16. Chapter 16 Banter

Disclaimer – Yu Yu Hakusho, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and Ronin Warriors (a.k.a. Yoroiden: Samurai Troopers) and all related characters, events, and concepts belong to their respective owners. I get no monetary benefit from this. My benefit is the enjoyment of dealing with beloved characters. If you recognize him/her/it, I don't own him/her/it. If you don't recognize, I might still not be the owner but it'd be best to ask. I'd appreciate it, anyway. ((grin))

"The Spellfire Saga – 1: Shards"  
by DragonDancer5150

Chapter 16 – Banter

"Damn! Where'd he go?" Naaza grunted.

"Down there!" Kurama ran onto the bridge and pointed down to the sidewalk on the other side. "It is as I feared – he was headed straight for Mutou-san."

"We should - " Shin started for the railing, but Rajura stopped him.

"No, Torrent. Remember what that Egyptian woman said. The pharaoh must play out this tournament to achieve his goal. We should only interfere if his life or that of his host is directly threatened."

"Very good, and if I win this duel, my puppet will immediately kill you!" the mime declared in a voice that reverberated with the power that controlled him.

"Does that qualify?" Shizuru remarked, a sardonic half-grin tugging at her lips.

"We wait and watch, and only tip our hand if need be."

Kurama nodded, agreeing with Rajura's plan. "Their sidewalk is not too wide, and there is plenty of grass around them, more than enough for me to work with." The three Ronins gave him sidelong glances, to which he only replied with a dark grin of assurance.

8 8 8 8 8

On the walkway below, the spirit noted in passing the incidental audience this confrontation already had drawn, and realized that he recognized a good half of them from the mysterious events of the evening before. For now, he dismissed them to concentrate on the situation at hand. "Whatever you have planned, it will never work, Malik."

"I'm afraid it already has. I've drawn you into a Duel you can't possibly win. It's all over for you, '_Pharaoh'_."

"All right, Malik. No more talk!" With a flourish, he pulled his Duel Deck from the case on his hip and slid it in place on the Duel Disk, switching the unit on in the same smooth motion. The mime mimicked him, a pair of devices firing out to either side of each of them, skidding to a stop on the pavement to define the borders of the Dueling field. The wings tucked in, and the disks folded in half back up on themselves, panels sliding open to reveal the projector surfaces.

"Prepare to be destroyed by the force of my Egyptian God card!"

"I've heard enough! Duel start!"

8 8 8 8 8

Shin gasped. "_He_ has one of those God cards!"

"This could get messy," Rajura murmured, remembering the sensations he and the others had received from Touma's memory regarding his run-in with Kaiba's Obelisk. If this Mutou or his possessing spirit partner were half the player everyone claimed, no doubt he would put up a valiant fight within the confines of this game of theirs . . . but gods had never been known to play by mortal rules.

8 8 8 8 8

The devices at the corners of the newly-defined field hummed to life, lights dancing across the projection surfaces, and twin stat screens flashed into existence for a brief moment on either side to the field to read "4000," the initial count of Life Points. Each drew a starting hand of five cards.

"Let's see what you're really made of, Malik. First turn is yours."

"How generous." The mime drew a card, glancing at it before sliding it into place on the Duel Disk. "I set one card facedown." The onlookers above watched in fascination as an oversized card shimmered into existence. The mime slapped another card onto his Disk. "And play this Monster in Attack Mode. Meet Humanoid Slime." The creature was aptly named, as from another card appeared a vaguely human figure shaped of silver-blue glop wearing what resembled a yellow waistcoat. A stat screen appeared for a moment, reading "800/2000," the values of the creature's Attack and Defense points. "And thus begins the end for you, Pharaoh. Make your move, and prepare to lose everything."

8 8 8 8 8

"You will fail!" the spirit swore. He drew a card and contemplated his options. _Hm . . . since he played such a weak Monster, I'll bet he wants me to attack it. Then, he'll use his facedown card to destroy my Monster. Hn, he'll need to do better than that._ "I also set one card facedown and summon Gazelle, the King of Mythical Beasts." A great leonine creature manifested, stat screen reading 1500/1200. "A stronger beast than yours."

"Don't be so confident that your Gazelle will prevail. It takes more than strength to win a Duel."

"I'm well aware of that."

"Then you won't be surprised when my Humanoid Slime annihilates your Monster."

"Hmph – I'd like to see you try that, Malik." The spirit did not doubt that the plan involved the other's use of his facedown card. He had nothing in his own hand that could take it off the field without knowing what it was. If it were a trap card, it could be trouble to spring it too soon. If it were a spell card, however, and the one he suspected at that . . . _Go on, Malik. Use your card. Show me what you have_.

"I'll do more than try. I summon Worm Drake." The creature appeared on the field, and the mime pulled another card from his hand, leaving alone the set card already out. "I also activate this magic card, Polymerization. I fuse Humanoid Slime and Worm Drake into a diabolical new weapon, Humanoid Worm Drake. It has 2200 Attack points, more than enough to destroy your Gazelle _and_ an unhealthy portion of your Life Points."

Malik's play had left the facedown card on the field, though it did mean one fewer in his present hand. No matter – this should still work. First, however, the spirit wanted to be sure that Malik at least had enough honor to play by the rules – though he wondered if the Duel Disks were programmed to disallow illegal plays. "When you fuse two Monsters together, you must wait one turn before you can attack, so you've left yourself wide open, Malik."

"That's of no concern to me. Rules are meant to be manipulated, and my facedown card will take care of that task for me. I've simply outsmarted you, Pharaoh."

"Let's see!"

"Just as you wish. Reveal facedown card, the magic card Quick Attack."

"You _can_ attack now!" the spirit gasped, taken off-guard for just an instant. He had never heard of that card, though he could not say that he was altogether surprised by its existence.

" Hm . . . very perceptive, but still, you've underestimated me as a Duelist, and for that you must pay a price! I'm afraid you're no match for me, Pharaoh."

8 8 8 8 8

On the bridge behind the mime, Kurama and his companions saw the spirit-possessed Mutou brace, anticipating the slaughter. "Do you think this duel will be like Jonouchi-san's, with the monsters physically affecting the players themselves?" Shin wondered.

Naaza leaned over his crossed arms on the rail, tension belying his outwardly casual stance. "We'll see, Torrent."

8 8 8 8 8

"Now, my beast, destroy his Gazelle." The loosely defined goo-creature lurched forward with the command, but then, the spirit smirked, operating a control on his Duel Disk.

"Ha! Hold on, Malik! Activate magic card." With a wave of his hand, the spirit's facedown card stood up, revealing itself to be De-Fusion. Malik's Monster separated back into two, the attack canceled as the Polymerization card vanished from the field.

"Whoa! So you knew my plan at the start!"

"Yes. You thought you were luring me into a trap, but it was you who fell for mine. Come, Malik. I was expecting a far better Duel than this," the spirit admonished, crossing his arms – a clear gesture of contempt.

"Heh, this Duel is far from over."

"You'll never win my Millennium Puzzle if you continue Dueling like that!" The spirit knew that he was shamelessly goading Malik but, quite frankly, he would not tolerate this portentous villain wasting his time.

8 8 8 8 8

"Hm . . . it seems that you are as smart as they say you are," Malik purred, having not been present for the past two Duels, only stepping in when they were completed. His mistake before had been letting his servants duel for him. Third time, however, would be the charm. "That last turn was only a test. You shall witness my true skills in due time – and once I defeat you, I will become Pharaoh and banish you to the Shadow Realm!"

8 8 8 8 8

_So, you do know of my realm, do you? What ties do you have there? And how exactly are your fates intertwined? I know what that woman says of you. What games do the Fates play this time that they should pit sister against brother? Hm, and all this over a nameless king's soul who was denied his oblivion three millennia ago . . _.

8 8 8 8 8

On the bridge, Shin cocked his head at that. "The . . . 'Shadow' Realm?"

"That's not yet another name for the Nether Realm, is it?" Naaza groaned.

Kurama frowned deeply. "In all my ages, I have never heard of such a place."

"First time for everything?" Shizuru offered with a shrug, though she too watched the unfolding events with brow furrowed by concern.

8 8 8 8 8

Below them, the mind-controlled mime continued his ominous ranting. "Pharaoh, a Duelist is like a vessel filled with water. If the vessel is shallow, you can see the bottom right away."

"Water changes with the vessel." The spirit wondered what Malik was up to now. In any case, it was his turn, and he drew. He gazed down at a mighty knight in magnificent blue armor trimmed in orange, wielding an enormous two-handed sword. _Buster Blader. Excellent! His Attack points are 2600. But he's a seventh-level Monster. By the new Battle City rules, I have to have two Monsters to sacrifice in order to summon him. So far I only have Gazelle_. "Now I'll dispose of your weak Monsters. I summon Beta the Magnet Warrior in Attack Mode. Destroy his Worm Drake!" An odd yellow figure appeared next to the leonine beast. Raising great magnets in both hands, he shot out energy blasts to engulf the serpentine monstrosity. "And next, Gazelle attacks your Humanoid Slime." A stat screen popped up to record the lost Life Points, rapidly counting down the numbers to 3000. "Now Malik, you have no Monsters left to protect you."

Had the mime been able to register any expression at all, the spirit figured he would be smirking in self-assurance. "Very good dueling, Pharaoh. You are a vessel with depth. However, like water, my slime Monsters can survive an enemy's blade." He drew. "I think you'll agree that this next card is rather handy. It is a creature that simply cannot be destroyed. It's a shapeless being made completely of ectoplasm with no solid mass, making it utterly indestructible and a perfect defense against enemy attack. I summon Revival Jam in Defense Mode." A being appeared that looked for all the world like a classic cartoon ghost taken 3D form, its stat screen reading 1500/500.

"Why would you play a Monster in its weaker mode?"

"Attack it and find out," Malik taunted. "Oh, and while we're at it – " The mime shoved a card into one of the magic/trap slots on his Duel Disk, and something that looked like a futuristic, miniature nuclear power plant rose from the ground. "Jam Breeding Machine. Thus begins the countdown to your destruction! It's a magic card and, each turn, it produces a Monster called a Slime Token."

"Hn. Once again, your plan is obvious. You intend to produce slime Monsters until you have enough to sacrifice and summon your Egyptian God Card."

"You stun me with your brilliance, Pharaoh," Malik sneered. "Too bad you can't stop me. It takes only three sacrifices to summon a God Card. I'll even grace you with his name, since I suppose every great hero should know the name of his executioner. He is Osiris, the Sky Dragon. He will annihilate you, and your Puzzle will belong to me!"

"As long as I have the Heart of the Cards, your plan will never work."

8 8 8 8 8

Naaza was getting a headache from all the posturing. "Tell me _I_ never talked this much."

Shin gave him a lopsided grin. "I wish I could."

"The what of the cards?" Rajura murmured at the same time.

Kurama pursed his lips in thought. "Obviously, there is far more that we do _not_ know of what is going on than what we do." Then, he stiffened a little, realizing in that moment that there was one more among their small group. He had not been aware that Hiei was in the immediate vicinity.

The youkai grimaced. "Apparently, the spirit has been listening to the same rhetoric as his host. I've heard his grandfather talk about it, and the boy has convinced his friends of the same. It is supposed to be some form of power or mystical ability."

8 8 8 8 8

The spirit drew. He now held four hand cards: Magical Hats, Dark Magician Girl, and Spellbinding Circle along with Buster Blader from last turn's draw. Dark Magician Girl was a sixth level Monster, requiring only one sacrifice, but with neither Spellbinding Circle nor Magical Hats set for play yet, he decided to stick to his original plan. He slipped the card into place on the Duel Disk, removing Beta and Gazelle to the Graveyard slot. "I sacrifice my two Monsters on the field to summon my Buster Blader! My expert swordsman has more than enough power to wipe out your Revival Jam and any of these Slime Tokens you manage to bring to the field. We'll see just how indestructible your Monsters are." The tall warrior replaced his fellows on the field in a shower of brilliant light, stat screen reading 2600/2300.

"Your Monster's Attack strength is quite impressive, Pharaoh," Malik allowed with a mocking sneer, "but it's still useless against my Revival Jam."

"We'll see. Buster Blader, destroy his Revival Jam!" The swordsman sprang into action, leaping with an overhead slash to the ghost. It, in turn, disintegrated into countless gobbets of goo floating around the warrior. "Your Monster's been splattered!"

"_Has_ it?"

The spirit watched in shock as the creature, rather than disappearing in the usual shower of electronic sparks, pulled its goo-gobbets back together again to reform itself without any evidence of injury. "How is this possible?" He had never heard of a Duel Monster that could not be destroyed.

8 8 8 8 8

"Heh, heh, heh – you're surprised? I _told_ you my Revival Jam employed the perfect defense. Even the most powerful sword cannot destroy my plasm Monster. It will always reform itself."

The group on the bridge could only shake their heads in grudging wonder. "Where do I get one of those?" Shizuru questioned, impressed despite the caustic tone.

"So it truly is immune to attack," they heard the spirit mutter in dismay.

"Oh, you can attack it. It just won't work. So Revival Jam protects my Life Points while the Breeding Machine creates Monsters for my ultimate sacrifice!"

8 8 8 8 8

The spirit scowled. _I've got to find some way to destroy Malik's Life Points – and fast! – before he can summon his God Card. But that Revival Jam truly _is_ indestructible, just like he said, and the Breeder Machine isn't a Monster. Buster Blader doesn't have the ability to destroy spell cards. Neither does anything else in my hand_.

The mime drew his next card. "Your Dueling days are almost over. Here comes the next step." The machine shimmered, and a little gobbet of floating goo with glowing orange eyes popped out of the orifice at the top. A stat screen registered 500 points. "I'll also set one card facedown. Only two turns left, Pharaoh – and then . . . "

"I may not be able to stop your Breeding Machine, but your plan has one tragic flaw, Malik," the spirit pointed out as he drew a card for his turn. "The rules state that your three sacrifices must all be on the field at the same time to summon your one Egyptian God Card. But what happens if I destroy them first? Your tokens are defenseless against even the weakest Monsters, let alone my Buster Blader. And every time he takes out a token, the difference in their Attack power means that you will take fully 2100 Life Points' damage apiece! So, by _my_ calculations, in two turns _you_ will be the one defeated!" The spirit was not so arrogant as to miss the possible purpose of Malik's facedown card. Still, what choice did he have? "Now, Buster Blader, attack his Slime Token!"

"Or not." The mime operated a control on his Duel Disk, and the facedown card stood up. "Reveal continuous trap card, Jam Defender!"

The spirit could only watch in shock as Revival Jam leaped to take Buster Blader's sword strike. "No! Revival Jam shielded your Monster!"

"Exactly, and as long as Revival Jam stays in Defense Mode, Jam Defender forces it to take all of your attacks. Now you cannot attack my Slime Tokens. Now you cannot stop me from summoning the mighty Osiris. And while we're on the subject, meet Slime Token Number Two!" The little goo-ghost popped out of the top of the machine with an audible _splort_ as the mime drew his next card.

The spirit growled in frustration. "I have to stop this."

8 8 8 8 8

On the bridge, Kurama found himself gripping the rail, his voice a soft murmur. "Unfortunately, Pharaoh-sama, I do not see how." What he did see was a card already in the mime's hand with a picture of a fearsome red dragon – a card that, even from his vantage point, the youkai half-breed could sense pulsing with a dark, restless power not too unlike that of the Millennium Items and the force sometimes around Hiei, and it begged to be unleashed.

"I'm afraid there's only one turn left, Pharaoh, and then Osiris will destroy you. But in case you do manage to come up with something brilliant, I'll play this little magic card – Nightmare Steel Cage! It will prevent you from attacking for two turns, not that you'll be around that long."

"I'm having a real hard time believing those are _just_ holograms!" Shin moaned.

8 8 8 8 8

In that moment, the spirit would have had to agree; he could only watch as what looked like streams of magma erupted from the pavement in a wide circle around him and his Monster, and cry out in shock as the columns reflected in over his head to meet in the center and widen, joining into a solid bubble of shimmering power before fading back to reveal a dome-shaped cage of wide bands of foreboding steel, ominous spikes decorating each joint of metal. The spirit realized with dread that he knew this trap – and knew that he was in a bad situation. Malik would summon Osiris, and there was nothing he could do to stop him!

"Now all you can do is watch while I summon the most powerful force you've ever seen to annihilate you!"

8 8 8 8 8

Even before the words were spoken, three Armor orbs were clutched in hand. Kurama grabbed Shizuru, pulling her back, and even Hiei backpedaled from the three Ronins to get out of the way of the coming energies. The trio decided only to Armor up to undergear for the moment but also, if there were a "best time" to put out the call for the company to regroup, now was it!

* * *

Author's Note: Please be sure to check my bio page for any updates, etc. Thanks!


	17. Chapter 17 Mouse Trap

Disclaimer – Yu Yu Hakusho, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and Ronin Warriors (a.k.a. Yoroiden: Samurai Troopers) and all related characters, events, and concepts belong to their respective owners. I get no monetary benefit from this. My benefit is the enjoyment of dealing with beloved characters. If you recognize him/her/it, I don't own him/her/it. If you don't recognize, I might still not be the owner but it'd be best to ask. I'd appreciate it, anyway. ((grin))

"The Spellfire Saga – 1: Shards"  
by DragonDancer5150

Chapter 17 – Mouse Trap

A few miles away, near the marina, Jonouchi had seated himself on a concrete planter. The rest of the group stood, sat, or rested cross-legged on the ground around him. In celebration of the victory over Insector Haga, they had enjoyed a late but lively lunch. Now, it was time for the next Duel.

"Hey, what about him, Jou-Big-Brother?" Jun pointed to a boy just a few years older than he, who looked like he was searching for an opponent.

"Eh? Oh . . . nah, but thanks, Jun."

"Huh?" Honda startled. "Why not? You could beat him easily."

Shu nodded. "Dude, you're only two puzzle cards away from the finals."

Jonouchi met the Chinese boy's eye in all seriousness. "Nah, man, I gotta be careful who I Duel. I can't choose just anybody. Makin' it to the finals is only half of it."

Shu startled a little at that. "Huh? Whaddya mean?"

"Well, see, it's like this – I made a promise to my buddy, Yugi. I promised to become a True Duelist an' Duel 'im in the Battle City Finals. To become a True Duelist, it's pointless not to fight with a stronger opponent."

In truth, that was only part of it. At the moment, Jonouchi's mind was not on Dueling. It was on the phone conversation from last night. Not to be mistaken – Jonouchi and the others really had been enjoying the company of Hashiba and Urameshi, Shu, Keiko, the boy Jun, even reserved Anubisu who seemed like he felt a little out of place for some reason. Still, he could not help hoping in part that, by hanging out with these guys, he might have learned a little something more about them and about the events to which his best friend had been witness. Jonouchi and the others were well aware that there was someone out there after Yugi and his Puzzle – after the Other Yugi – and if Jonouchi could learn something to help the two against this foe, then he would do just about anything.

Although, he could not let that detract from his promise.

Sugoroku nodded, proud of his former student. "You're a courageous boy, Jonouchi-kun. Still, Honda-kun's right. You have to move quickly."

"Hey, yeah, about that," Urameshi put in at the same time. "Been meanin' to ask. What _is_ a true – ?"

8 8 8 8 8

Touma's eyes popped wide, his sharp gasp cutting off the end of Urameshi's question as an urgent call rang across his soul, reverberating with shock and horror.

-_RONIN WARRIORS, TO ARMS!_-

Touma recovered before his fellow Ronins, turning to meeting Shu's and Anubisu's eyes. "Yeah, you remembered, too, huh?" -_Play along, all right?_- "Has anyone got the time?"

Anubisu looked around until he spotted a clock built into the wall of a nearby building. "Yeah, there!"

"C'mon, guys. We're gonna be late." Touma looked hard at Yusuke, willing him to understand. "We're needed elsewhere – _now!_"

He watched comprehension dawn in Yusuke's dark brown eyes. "Oh, yeah! That!"

For their parts, Keiko and Jun kept silent for the moment, both having spent enough time with their respective friends to know not to ask questions in mixed company.

The group started to take off but Yusuke hesitated, turning squarely to Jonouchi. "Hey, Jou. Good luck, man, and . . . be careful, 'kay?"

8 8 8 8 8

Sugoroku frowned at the enigmatic comment, but Honda spoke up first, put off by their new friends' sudden exodus. "Whaddya mean, Urameshi?"

Sugoroku could see in the boy's eyes that he dared not say too much. "Just . . . keep your eyes peeled. Lotta nutcases in town right now with this tournament goin' on." Before he could be questioned further, he took off after his fellows.

"Wow, I wonder what that was all about?" Anzu murmured, worried by their behavior.

"I don't know," Sugoroku murmured, his scowl deepening, "but I do hope they'll be all right." Unknown to the others, and entirely by accident, he had overheard his grandson's side of a phone call last night, and . . . he worried in spite of himself for those young people as he watched them disappear around a corner down the street.

8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8

Ryo and company pounded across the concrete as fast as their legs could carry them, Kuwabara bearing Yukina piggyback. They never had been able to relocate Bakura as they had intended, but all of a sudden that was no longer important, not with what Rajura and company had just reported.

8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8

There was a child's board game from America that Yugi remembered seeing on and off in his grandfather's game shop when he was little. The players of the game had little plastic game pieces shaped like mice, which they raced around a board on which a wacky contraption of a trap was built. Once the trap was completed, the players tried to capture one another under a little dome-shaped cage. He recalled that, on the fronts of the boxes he had seen, the cage was a very cheery, bright yellow plastic.

Yugi could hardly help the ironically innocent imagery that filled his mind in such a dire moment as he and the spirit found themselves now. Malik had just turned the crank, they were the mice caught in the trap – and the family dog was about to come rushing into the room and trample the game board.

8 8 8 8 8

_There _must_ be something I can do to prevent this,_ the spirit thought, growing desperate, _but what? Malik must already hold the God Card in his hand. Else why would he be so relaxed and confident?_ He had not missed the reactions of the ones on the bridge, either, and the look of deep concern in the redhead's eyes spoke volumes.

Through the mime, Malik was laughing at his predicament. "So, Pharaoh – how do you like being a prisoner inside a cage? What do you feel? Do you feel humiliation? Disappointment? These I know all too well, thanks to you! I will have my revenge when I defeat you and take your Puzzle, your power, and your place as Pharaoh!"

The spirit only glared with defiance from within the bars of the cage, but inwardly he was shaking his head in deeply vexed confusion. _Who _is_ this person? What have I done to him to make him so personally vengeful? In the past year since the Puzzle was solved, I have never met anyone by his name. Was he someone on whom I invoked a Shadow Game?_ He remembered every Shadow Game he had played and knew the fates of each one who had lost to him, whether or not he had ever learned his opponents' names. Besides Shadi, he had never met anyone with a Millennium Item before Bakura and had not played a Shadow Game since then that had been of his own initiation. The games with Shadi had not been his idea, either, for that matter. It was possible that this person had gained his Item, the Millennium Rod, more recently, but still . . . _He claimed that I had a hand in his father's death somehow, and that the murder was but the last in a long list of wrongs to his clan. It sounds like his clan goes back to the time of my own roots. Was it some decision that I made? Did I order the duty to his clan, locking them away underground as he claims they have been? Would I have done such a terrible thing?_

_Is that why I, too, live imprisoned in darkness?_

The spirit growled in renewed frustration. _There is so much that I don't know, that I can't remember. But I do know this: regardless of who he is and whether or not I have indeed wronged him somehow, he will carry out his threats. I have no doubt of that. I _must_ win – not only for my friends, but also for the friend who even now struggles to become a True Duelist himself and challenge me in honor . . . and for the very life of my partner_. Images of Honda's and Anzu's faces flitted across his mind, followed by Jonouchi and, finally, Yugi.

Within his heart, the spirit felt Yugi's concern for him and his reassurance. -_My Other Self – no! You're not a bad person – not now and I'm sure not then, either! I _won't_ believe that you are a part of the Puzzle and came to me because of some punishment! For all we know, Malik could be lying about everything. Don't listen to him . . . and don't worry about me. Nakama, just concentrate. Trust in the Heart of the Cards, and we'll see this through just like we have everything else. Believe!_-

The spirit wished he could be so certain. Still, he gave his partner a mental nod, appreciating Yugi's support and unwavering faith. -_Yes, Aibou. I'm sorry. I do believe_.-

Without even realizing it, Malik mocked his words. "I do believe it is your turn, Pharaoh. Show me this Heart of the Cards you trust so strongly."

"Don't mock that which you cannot understand." The spirit drew a card, but it was nothing that he could use right now. He grunted in irritation. "End turn." _This is it!_

Malik chuckled with a soft, wicked glee. "End turn? 'End game,' you mean. Time's up. Now, I draw, and my Jam Breeding Machine creates the last Slime Token." He paused as the holograms followed suit. "And now, the stage is set. Beware the gathering darkness, Pharaoh. It comes to consume you!"

The spirit could see, could almost hear, the gasps of shock from the group on the bridge even as he himself braced and watched in disbelief. From a suddenly dark horizon, black clouds rushed across the sky, lightning flashing from their depths. The stormy canopy blocked the sun as it roofed the whole waterway and surrounding landscape, possibly for miles. Undeniably, power unlike any he had sensed before was gathering, preparing to take shape over the confines of their Dueling field. This was no hologram. No little arm-mounted portable simulator system could fabricate this. Whatever it was, it was real . . . _very_ real.

Violent bolts of lightning struck the ground around the Duelists, leaving smoking pits in their wake. Malik was laughing, gloating, reveling. "This is it – an ancient and terrible force! I sacrifice my three Slime Tokens for the summons." A particularly powerful bolt slammed the ground, not only incinerating the tokens, but blasting the Jam Breeding Machine to smithereens. Chunks of Breeding Machine hovered in the air, glowing brightly, then disintegrated into beams of pure light that leaped up into the rolling clouds above. Eddies of dark vapor twisted into a whirlpooling vortex in the center of the cloud cover, beams of light piercing outward from its depths. Serpentine coils descended from the vortex, manifesting in an impossibly long trunk of molten-red top scales, the belly a silken black. Malik shrieked with mad glee. "Saint Dragon God of Osiris, meet the Pharaoh. Pharaoh, prepare to meet _Usir_, Judge of the Dead! This is the last Monster you will ever see on this plane of existence!"

* * *

Author's Note: Please be sure to check my bio page for any updates, etc. Thanks!


	18. Chapter 18 Dragonfear

Disclaimer – Yu Yu Hakusho, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and Ronin Warriors (a.k.a. Yoroiden: Samurai Troopers) and all related characters, events, and concepts belong to their respective owners. I get no monetary benefit from this. My benefit is the enjoyment of dealing with beloved characters. If you recognize him/her/it, I don't own him/her/it. If you don't recognize, I might still not be the owner but it'd be best to ask. I'd appreciate it, anyway. ((grin))

"The Spellfire Saga – 1: Shards"  
by DragonDancer5150

Chapter 18 – Dragonfear

The creature revealed his full, terrible self out of the stormy sky – a massive great wyrm of impossible size, long body coiled back on itself over and over in an attempt to fit over the space of the Dueling field as he hovered in midair. Straightened out, the spirit guessed the dragon would easily stretch well over a hundred feet in length, probably closer to two hundred. Yellow eyes located him, caged and helpless, and the ponderous head turned to face him. Wings the size of a large ship's sails began to beat, and the Monster's mouth opened in a ferocious roar that sent a gale-strength wind sweeping through the field, threatening to knock the spirit off his feet. He braced, throwing his arms over his face. _Ancient gods! And this is not even the creature's actual attack!_

8 8 8 8 8

On the bridge, Kurama and company stood rooted to the spot, nearly overcome with dragonfear, the natural awe and horror that assaulted the senses at the appearance of such a beast. The supernatural acuities of each were all but blinded by the sheer power of the monstrosity's passive presence. When he roared, asserting his standing, they clapped their hands over their ears against the deafening sound. They could only wonder - how in the world could Mutou stand there and take such an audible assault!

8 8 8 8 8

_How? How can I defeat such a beast?_ the spirit thought, trembling and desperate with a mounting emotion to which he was quite unaccustomed. _There _must_ be a way! It's not even just the cage that holds me back. I can _feel_ the dragon's oppression! It is fear, real _fear_, that holds me rooted like this!_

"I know what you are thinking, Pharaoh, but you are wrong! Osiris the Sky Dragon is one of the most feared beasts in all of history, the Egyptian God Monsters. They cannot be defeated."

The spirit shook his head even as he could not pull his eyes from the beast's face, so close to his. In reality, the dragon was yards away, but his sheer size made that feel like mere inches. His claws were each longer than Yugi was tall. He glared down at his caged prey with mouth open, like a snake ready to strike. A deep metallic blue tongue lay in a bed bordered by fangs as long as Yugi's arm – and that was to say nothing of the second mouth the thing seemed to possess, along the top half of his snout in place of a nose. _There has to be a way! There _must_!_ "Every Monster has a weakness, Malik, and I will find his!"

"Osiris does not have one! His power is limitless. All you can do is watch him grow ever stronger!"

"No. How is that possible?"

"As with any lasting thing, Osiris's abilities have changed with the times. His Attack power is based on the number of cards in my hand, 1000 points apiece. I hold two. I play one now – Pot of Greed. This card allows me to draw two more. Now I hold three, making Osiris's attack power 3000."

The spirit growled. "Hn. If Osiris's power these days is based on the number of cards in your hand, then it is not limitless. You can only hold up to six cards at the end of your turn, Malik! As this is still technically a tournament Duel, you cannot break that rule or you forfeit the match!"

"Did you not learn from my Humanoid Worm Drake, foolish Pharaoh? Rules are made to be manipulated. Heh, perhaps it is best that you do not have your memory, or else you would be paralyzed by fear at the understanding of the devastating power you now face!"

_If I had my memory, I'd remember how he was defeated in the past_, the spirit snorted. _If he exists only within the confines of a card now, he _must_ have been. Think!_ He glanced up at the tall warrior standing beside him, great sword stowed across his back at the moment. _Buster Blader's Attack points increase by 500 for every dragon on the field, regardless of whose. That means he now stands at 3100, just higher than Osiris. But with the Nightmare Steel Cage still in play, I can't attack. By the time I can, he will have drawn another card. Come on!_ He drew his own next card. _Mm. Lightforce Sword, a trap card . . . one of the ones I picked up the other day out with Anzu, in fact. It may serve well now, but . . . I still have no way to attack while this accursed cage is in place. Still, it will only last one more turn. If I can hang on until then, I might be able to turn this Duel around. Heart of the Cards, hear me! _"I set two cards facedown, and play Kuriboh in Defense Mode. End turn." The holograms followed suit, two horizontal cards joined by a creature the size of a beachball – a chocolate-colored mass of fur with four green-scaled claws and large yellow-and-purple eyes. He was a single star-level Monster, his stats only 300/200, but both the spirit and Yugi had learned long ago to respect the little guy's immense hidden usefulness.

"And with that . . . " Malik chuckled as the Nightmare Steel Cage evaporated from existence.

The spirit watched as Buster Blader drew his sword once more, gripped two-handed before him, and Kuriboh braced with eyes wide and staring at the horror above him. Only they and the two facedown cards behind them stood between the massive dragon and their summoner's life.

"How ironic that the cage that held you was the only thing keeping you alive. Now, you are open for attack, and nothing you possess can save you. I draw, and Osiris's Attack increases another 1000 points, 900 over your Buster Blader even _with_ his power-up from a dragon being on the field. And now, my Egyptian God, _attack!_ Take this, hateful Pharaoh!" The dragon reared back, crackling golden energy amassing in his open mouth. He lurched forward to breathe his energy storm through Buster Blader.

"Hah!" the spirit cried, operating a control on his disk. "Your attack activates my trap card – Lightforce Sword!"

"What? No!"

"Yes! Lightforce Sword removes a card from play for three turns!" The card stood up, and a sword matching that depicted in the artwork shot from its depths to pass harmlessly through the mime's hand and body, the facsimile of one of his hand cards appearing behind him with the sword skewering it. "With that, Osiris's Attack drops back down below Buster Blader's!" The spirit could only wonder that the dragon was not destroyed, as normally a Monster was when he attacked one more powerful than he. Perhaps it was one of the God Monster's special abilities? No matter. "And now, counterattack – Buster Blader, slay Osiris the Sky Dragon!" Buster Blader braced and leaped, swinging his great sword. At the last instant, however, Revival Jam flowed up into the path of the blade, taking the attack meant for the dragon. "Ah! _No!_ What is this?"

"Jam Defender – or is your short-term memory as lacking as your long-term, Pharaoh?" Malik taunted.

"It responds to counterattacks as well?"

"Precisely. Revival Jam protects from _all_ attacks, no matter whose turn – which, by the way, I'd say that was yours. I now play my next step – Card of Safe Return!"

"Oh, no!" The spirit recognized that rare card, even though neither he nor Yugi had ever laid eyes on it.

"Oh, yes. It's a continuous magic card that lets me draw three new cards whenever a Monster is special summoned from the Graveyard – in this case, Revival Jam! I now hold enough cards to charge up Osiris to a grand total of 5000 attack points!"

8 8 8 8 8

The attempt to follow the card plays was only making Naaza's headache worse. "I count six," he muttered, shaking his head as the increase in the dragon's power hammered at their supernatural senses.

"Minus the one that illusory sword is binding," Rajura reminded him, "not that it makes a difference. With or without it, the dragon is more powerful than Pharaoh-san's swordsman."

"And what's with the big, chocolate dustbunny?" Shizuru wanted to know.

"Where _are_ they?" Kurama breathed. His hands wrapped the railing so tightly that his knuckles were white. The others had similar subconscious deathgrips on the rail, but only Shizuru did not have gloves to hide the tension. Hiei's hands were in his pockets as usual, but Kurama read a slight tremor to his frame, knew him well enough to recognize the fear buried in the defiance of his ruby eyes.

"Almost here," Shin whispered, knowing that Kurama meant the rest of their company, "though I don't know what any of us can do to help, short of interrupting the duel and taking the dragon on ourselves."

"According to the Egyptian," Shizuru put in, "we can't do that."

"I won't let the boy die at this coward's hands," Hiei swore, his voice low and lethal.

"Agreed," Naaza and Kurama responded in unison.

8 8 8 8 8

_I will _not_ let you kill him. You cannot have him, you caitiff rogue. I have absorbed as much energy from your dragon as I can withstand, and then some. One false move and your puppet will be a smear of cinders on the pavement!_

_Then, it will be your turn._

8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8

"Oh, you have _got_ to be kidding me!" Yusuke gasped as he spotted the monstrosity hovering over the waterway ahead. His group skidded to a halt at the top of the stairs leading down the embankment to the walkway below, staring in disbelief at the scene before them. Shouts to their right drew their attention to their teammates on the bridge, and they ran over to join them just as Ryo and crew arrived on the scene.

"And now, Osiris, take out his Buster Blader – and a bite out of his Life Points!"

Consolidating energies beat at the group's collected senses as the great dragon reared back, a ball of crackling golden energy growing in his mouth. He breathed with a snarl, washing the swordsman in destructive power. From their vantage point, the group on the bridge could barely see the shower of sparks within the center of the bright onslaught as Buster Blader met his end. Energy crackled across the field, playing about Mutou's crouched and braced frame before dispersing, and a stat screen registered a point loss from 4000 to 2100. From the expression on his face, the company feared that he had physically felt the massive onslaught. Breathing hard, the spirit straightened, glaring and defiant. For his part, little Kuriboh could only hunker down and await his turn, looking very small and insignificant before the dragon's wrath.

"Damn!" Shu moaned. "Half his LP in a single blow! He's toast!"

8 8 8 8 8

"Do you surrender? Give it up, Pharaoh. Nothing you have can defeat a God Monster. Each turn, Osiris gains in power while you cannot even attack. Heh, well you can, but you'll only hit Revival Jam – unless you don't _mind_ giving Osiris a free power boost when I draw cards upon Revival Jam's return to the field, thanks to my Card of Safe Return!"

The spirit looked again at the cards in his hand. _He's right. I don't have a Monster that can challenge his Sky Dragon, so I'll have find a spell or a trap. Come on, Heart of the Cards. Guide me_. With a growl, the spirit met the mime's blank eyes – and Malik's behind them. "My turn. I draw." Hope renewed in his heart as he looked at his new card. _All right! Magic Cylinder! This could do the trick, but it has to be combined with a spellcaster to play – and I know just the one!_ "I sacrifice Kuriboh to summon Dark Magician Girl in Defense Mode." The pretty young mageling rose from her card with a flourish.

"Oh, by the way," Malik purred, as though he had been waiting for just such a move, "there's something I seem to have forgotten to mention. Silly me."

"What's that?" the spirit gasped in dismay even as he watched the dragon's upper mouth begin to open.

"Just a small thing, really. You see, summoning a new Monster to the field activates Osiris's special ability – his second mouth!"

"No! My Dark Magician Girl!"

8 8 8 8 8

"Look! She's scared," Jun cried, empathizing with her. Though Touma had been trying to convince the boy that the holograms were insensate and did not feel anything, no one could deny the look of fear on the mage-girl's face as she looked up at the dragon preparing to strike.

8 8 8 8 8

"Even though it is your turn, my dragon will automatically attack any Monster you summon, draining 2000 points from whatever mode it's in!"

"No! She only has 1700 Defense points! That will destroy her!" the spirit cried, horrified for his helpless Monster. _Wait . . . no, I _can_ save her!_

"Osiris, attack!"

"Not so fast!"

"Too bad! Dark Magician Girl is destroyed."

"Heh, guess again." As the smoke cleared, three enormous black top hats hovered a foot off the pavement across the walkway in front of the spirit, the blast having taken out a fourth as it appeared. "Spell card, Magical Hats!"

"So you've saved her for one round, but you're wasting your time. You have nothing that can save you in the end."

"We'll see. I play two cards facedown." The spirit slid the cards into the slots on his disk, and their holographic counterparts appeared for a brief moment on the field in front of him before the three hats danced in a tight circle, the new cards vanishing underneath. The hats retook their positions in a line before their summoner. "Careful which hat you attack next, Malik, because a counterstrike awaits you if you choose poorly."

"You continue to delude yourself. No counterstrike will make the difference. And to prove it, I play my own magic card – Infinite Cards! With this card, my God Monster's Attack power is also infinite, as it allows me to exceed the six-hand-card limit and hold as many as I desire!"

The spirit gasped in horror. "No! That can't be!"

"Osiris, Saint Dragon of the Sky, unleash your fury on the right-hand hat – Thunder Force!"

The spirit groaned. He had hoped for at least one more turn to draw and possibly come up with a better, more lasting strategy. He hated to play move-by-move as he was doing, but he had yet to come up with a viable plan. "You made a lucky guess, Malik."

"Not that you could have hidden her forever."

"This Duel's not over!" the spirit snarled. The initial energy of the blast annihilated the hat from existence, but the rest of the power disappeared into one of two wide pipes on either side of Dark Magician Girl. At the same time, a glyph of pure energy – a pentagram within a double circle – appeared to encompass the dragon around his chest. "You forgot about my trap cards! Spellbinding Circle restricts your dragon and drops his attack points by 700, and my Magical Cylinder absorbs and redirects your attack right back at you!" _Please, please – let this get around his Revival Jam! _"_NO!_ He blocks even redirected attacks!"

"That's right! And with that, I draw three new cards – plus a card on my own turn."

"Osiris is now at 8300 attack points!"

"Heh, heh – not quite. Magic cards only work on God cards for one turn so Spellbinding Circle expires, as does Lightforce Sword, giving my Sky Dragon back his stolen attack points." As the mystical pentagram disintegrated, a stat screen counted up. "Behold! Duel Disks do not lie, Pharaoh. Osiris the Sky Dragon now stands at a punishing 10,000 Attack points. Osiris, destroy his Dark Magician Girl!"

The spirit could only watch in abject horror as the dragon unleashed his fury on the overwhelmed spellcaster. The electronic sparks of her passing could not even be seen in the brilliance of the energy blast that assaulted her, washing over her summoner with a power that seared him through the Puzzle to the core of his being.

"Look closely at the five-card combo I have assembled – Revival Jam, Jam Defender, Card of Safe Return, Infinite Cards, and Osiris the Sky Dragon. With these cards, I am completely indestructible! Prepare for _oblivion_, Pharaoh!" Cackling laughter filled the waterway, echoing off the concrete structures, the sound challenged in volume and menace only by the rumbling of the terrible dragon.

* * *

Author's Note: Please be sure to check my bio page for any updates, etc. Thanks!


	19. Chapter 19 True Duelist

Disclaimer – Yu Yu Hakusho, Yu-Gi-Oh, and Ronin Warriors (a.k.a. Yoroiden: Samurai Troopers) and all related characters, events, and concepts belong to their respective owners. I get no monetary benefit from this. My benefit is the enjoyment of dealing with beloved characters. If you recognize him/her/it, I don't own him/her/it. If you don't recognize, I might still not be the owner but it'd be best to ask. I'd appreciate it, anyway. ((grin))

"The Spellfire Saga – 1: Shards"  
by DragonDancer5150

Chapter 19 – True Duelist

Three cards fluttered to the ground from numb fingers. Deep within, Yugi was silent with his own reeling reaction as the spirit slumped to his knees. "I-I . . . " He folded the rest of the way, hands braced into the cold, rough cement, the forward-most corner of the forgotten Duel Disk scuffing the ground as the bracer dug uncomfortably into the flesh of his wrist and forearm, the edge of the Deck slot driven into the back of his flexed hand. "I . . . can't win!"

If the spirit had never known fear before, he knew it now. He fought to control the trembling, but it was a lost battle, as lost as the Duel. He squeezed his eyes shut in denial, refusing even still to succumb to his terror – and to deny the tears. He was frightened but, more than that, an inconsolable ache crushed at his heart, for he had failed. He had failed his friends. He had failed Jonouchi – would never be able to fulfill his promise to his fellow Duelist. Worst of all, he had failed Yugi, knowing that the boy's soul would perish with his own. He had sworn to protect Yugi, and he had failed. He had known, if only by some form of instinct, of the existence of the Shadow Realm for some time, had drawn on its energies via the Puzzle on numerous occasions, had even been there once thanks to Pegasus, though marginally. If the terrible energies surrounding that Duel were any indication, he did not know if he could survive there or how long he might last. With a crushing certainty, he knew that Yugi would not.

"Yugi!" A sudden, sharp voice broke through the fear, the tone of command slamming through him like a shock of ice water. "Get on your feet, Yugi!"

The spirit looked up in surprise. "Kaiba!"

Kaiba Seto stood glaring down at him from the top of the embankment with arms crossed. His little brother Kaiba Mokuba stood at his side, as always. "Since when do you _bow_ to your rivals?" the elder Kaiba demanded, as though disgusted at the sight before him.

The spirit's old pride welled in him at that. "Never!" he insisted, straightening. A small corner in the back of his mind wondered how long Kaiba had been standing there, had been watching.

"You are my only rival. I don't allow you to lose! You should see the road to our battle in the future. Do you _want_ to stop here? Since the God holds you back, you should overcome God and keep moving ahead!"

The spirit could see the reactions from the onlookers on the bridge, outrage on his behalf at Kaiba's words. He appreciated the sentiment, but he knew that they did not understand. He did. If anything, Kaiba was helping in his own way. With honoring care, the spirit gathered his hand cards back up from the pavement, then pushed to his feet. "I understand, Kaiba. Wait for me! I _will_ defeat God!" _I don't know how . . . but I _will_**.**__ I swear it!_

"With my unstoppable combo, I don't see how," Malik taunted, again unconsciously echoing the spirit's thoughts. The mime turned blank eyes up to Kaiba. "And you, Kaiba, are next! Once my great beast Osiris annihilates Yugi, I'm coming after you and _your_ Egyptian God Card! Watch and learn, Kaiba."

Kaiba only snorted. "_That_ I will."

"This Duel's not over yet, Malik!" the spirit growled. He turned his attention to his hand cards. _All right, take stock. Alpha the Magnet Warrior, Berfomet, and Big Shield Gardna – no one that even comes close to being able to defend against, let along overcome, Osiris, not at 10,000 attack points. And that will go up with every card he draws! Osiris must have some weakness . . . and I _will_ find it._ "My turn. Draw." _Mm . . . Monster Reborn. All right. That . . . could come in handy._ "I place one card facedown and set Big Shield Gardna in Defense Mode." Even knelt, the humanoid Gardna was as tall as Yugi, bracing an enormous shield in front of him that could have accommodated two more people behind it. His stat screen read 100/2600.

"Heh, they say the mind's the first thing to go. I guess that holds true for that short-term memory we talked about before. With your summons, Osiris attacks with his second mouth, draining 2000 points from the mode of your Monster!"

The blast slammed into Gardna's immense shield with terrible force, but he survived, left with 600 points.

8 8 8 8 8

On the bridge, the company watched with a tangible tension in the air. "He's bought himself one more play," Yusuke observed, though the tone of voice left a doubt hanging with his words.

"Heh, yeah. Now if we could just give him a Ronin-brand miracle," Shin joked weakly, glancing at Touma and Seiji.

8 8 8 8 8

Mokuba was of much the same opinion as those standing not far to his right. "Yugi won't last much longer!" he worried.

Kaiba gazed down at his archrival. "Osiris is indeed terrible." _What would a confrontation between the Sky Dragon and my own Obelisk be like, I wonder_.

8 8 8 8 8

"Your pathetic shield is whittled down to practically nothing. How much longer do you think you'll survive? Where's your faith in your cards now? There is no hope but a fool's fantasy left to you! You might as well give up, Pharaoh." Malik paused, but when his opponent merely continued to glare back in unrepentant defiance, he laughed. "Well, it's just as enjoyable to demolish you standing as groveling, I suppose. My turn." The mime drew, placing the card in his hand with the rest. "You can count, right?" He gestured as a screen popped up to register the point change.

8 8 8 8 8

The company on and around the bridge braced under the palpable weight of the dragon's power.

Mokuba gasped in disbelief. "Wow! That's 11,000 – almost four times the strength of your Blue-Eyes White Dragon, Big-Brother! And with Infinite Cards in play, there's no limit to how strong it can grow!"

Kaiba only scowled, thinking, _Infinity is only the gods' illusion_. At that, he gasped inwardly. _That's it! I've found Osiris's weakness. Now, let's see if Yugi is Duelist enough to figure it out._

8 8 8 8 8

Ryo for one was watching this apparent rival very closely, recognizing the wealthy gaming mogul from school – when Kaiba bothered to attend. _Kaiba-san, I don't like that smirk you suddenly have on your face. Whose side are you on?_

8 8 8 8 8

Malik, too, was smirking for his own reasons. "And now, I attack. Osiris, take out his wretched defense!"

The blast washed over Gardna and the spirit looked away, unable to watch his stalwart Monster's destruction – and he _still_ had not come up with a viable plan. _This is insane! I've never faced anything so incredibly powerful. And the more cards he draws, the stronger Osiris gets, until . ._ . With a deep, audible gasp, the spirit's eyes snapped back up to his opponent's Duel Disk as the realization hit him like a physical blow. _Wait! That's it!_ "I'll make Osiris destroy himself!"

8 8 8 8 8

At the top of the embankment, Kaiba's smirk deepened. He knew Yugi would figure it out. Kaiba was almost proud of him. "It's about time."

"Big-Brother, what's he mean?"

8 8 8 8 8

Malik wondered the same thing. "Don't make me laugh! Do you really think you can control an Egyptian God! What makes you think you can make him turn against me?"

"Watch and learn," the spirit riposted with a dark grin.

8 8 8 8 8

On the bridge, several were turning to their resident expert. "Hey, HardRock – ?" Anubisu started, but Shu was shaking his head.

"I don't have a clue. Mutou-san's way out of my league, even if he doesn't win this."

"He'll win!" Jun asserted confidently.

Kurama almost smiled. _Oh, for the faith of a child. He cannot sense Osiris's substantial power. Still . . . you must win this, Pharaoh-sama_.

8 8 8 8 8

Mokuba fervently hoped the same, but he could not see how it was possible. Still, he could not deny the renewed hope and confidence on his friend's face. _What's Yugi talking about? I mean, sure he's a great Duelist . . . but how can he make a Monster destroy itself? _Any_ Monster, let alone an Egyptian God?_ "Big-Brother, what's going on?"

Kaiba shook his head with a small frown, eyes glued to his rival. "Don't talk, Mokuba. Just watch. Watch what it means to be a True Duelist."

"A True Duelist?"

8 8 8 8 8

"It's my turn, Malik. I draw!" As his hand went to his Duel Deck, the spirit thought frantically. _There's only one card that will work, and I only have one chance to draw it. Otherwise, I'm finished. Heart of the Cards, I implore you! Here goes!_ He drew, feeling a power wash through him from the Puzzle and his Deck. Without hesitation, he looked at the new card – and nearly crowed aloud in exaltation. _Yes! This is it!_ "Malik, the end is now!"

8 8 8 8 8

Kaiba watched the thoughts and emotions play across his rival's face. _Yugi, you've done it! You must have. And so, God chooses the better player to be its master_.

8 8 8 8 8

"And now, I reveal my facedown card," the spirit declared, operating his Duel Disk before waving his hand over the hologram with a flourish. "Monster Reborn! I choose to resurrect a Monster from my own Graveyard, my mighty Buster Blader! Return to the field – in Attack Mode!" The Duel Disks recognized voice commands. The spirit did not have to find the card in his graveyard for the programming to change the holographic projection from the powerful spell card to the great swordsman. Once more, Buster Blader stood tall before his summoner, prepared to face off with the titanic dragon.

8 8 8 8 8

"Whoa! Wai-wai-_wait_ a minute!" Kuwabara sputtered. "What's Mutou thinkin'? Ya keep your points if your monster's in Defense position, right? If that thing's attackin', won't he _lose_ points when that dragon eats him for lunch?" Focused as he was on Mutou, he did not catch the smug glance of superior understanding Kaiba threw his way.

8 8 8 8 8

"I can't win this Duel by just defending," the spirit allowed, both for his engaged audience's sake and for Malik's, "so I'm staking everything on this final play."

"We'll see how well your faith holds, Pharaoh – especially since your use of Monster Reborn is more of a liability to you than an asset."

The spirit frowned at that. "What do you mean?"

"Did you forget the magic cards I have in play? One of them is Card of Safe Return. It allows me to draw three cards whenever a Monster is special summoned from the Graveyard. I played it with Revival Jam in mind, but it works for any special summons from the Graveyard. That includes your Buster Blader!" The mime drew three cards, and Osiris's attack power climbed to 14,000. "And any summons activates my dragon's second mouth."

"Buster Blader is strong enough to survive your attack." Still, the spirit found himself bracing as the power washed over him and his Monster, leaving the latter with 1,100 points.

"Yes, but not for much longer. Heh, I'll be kind and let you switch your miserable warrior to Defense. That will let you last just a little longer . . . well, until my next turn, that is!"

"There won't _be_ a next turn. It ends here! Buster Blader, attack Osiris the Sky Dragon!"

"Hah! And Revival Jam takes the strike! As soon as he's finished reforming, I'll draw yet another three cards, for an all-consuming 17,000! I will attack, and you'll be incinerated!"

The spirit gave him a smile of utter confidence. "Heh, I'm afraid it's still my turn, and I've not finished my play. As Revival Jam remolds itself, I play this magic card – Brain Control!" The card appeared, standing up to reveal a picture, then a 3D hologram, of an oversized brain with spectral arms arising from its base, grasping hands ready for command.

8 8 8 8 8

"Oh!" Mokuba gasped. "I get it! He must mean to use that to take control of the dragon. But . . . Osiris is too powerful for even a card like that!"

Arguably the most knowledgeable of the company concerning psychic phenomena, Seiji was nodding. "Mind control is tricky even on a human and takes a powerful will to overcome another person's mind. Usually it takes some sort of ritual to have any sort of lasting effect or to take over someone so much more powerful than you. I'm afraid Mutou-san's pharaoh friend has made a mistake."

Touma was frowning in thought. "That . . . may not be his aim, actually."

Kurama nodded, thinking he may have come to the same conclusion even as Rajura commented, "It's a brilliant strategy, if I understand this game and he is doing what I think he's doing."

"Uh . . . okay, I'm lost," Ryo admitted, shaking his head.

8 8 8 8 8

Ignoring the muttered comments on the bridge behind his puppet, Malik laughed. "Another senseless move and wasted card. Magic cards are completely useless against God Monsters. And that foolish mistake will cost you dearly, Pharaoh! Osiris!" The beast crouched low, bracing to strike.

The spirit grinned smugly. "Who said I was after your dragon?"

"You – what? You're _not!_"

"Heh – no. There is another Monster on your side of the field. Or was. My Brain Control seizes mastery over your Revival Jam!" The coagulating Monster shifted positions to finish reforming itself in front of the spirit's magic card.

"What? But that makes no sense!" Malik protested. "Revival Jam can't harm Osiris. He's of no use to you."

"Think about it. Since Revival Jam reformed, draw your three new cards, Malik."

"So I will, bringing my dragon's Attack points to 17,000! And now, Osiris, destroy his Buster Blader!"

The dragon was above and behind the mime. The spirit smirked at the observation that Malik had no idea what his dragon was doing. "You're not paying attention, Malik. Because Revival Jam returned to the field as a special summons on _my_ side, Osiris _must_ take his auto-attack with his second mouth. So, before you can destroy me, you must first attack Revival Jam."

"What?" Malik watched in confusion as the energy blast from above and behind shot down into Revival Jam, splattering the ectoplasm Monster all over the Dueling field . . . only to reform again, still on the spirit's side.

"I think you can figure out the rest . . . or is your short-term memory lacking, Malik?" the spirit taunted.

"Revival Jam . . . returns to the field, so that I draw three more cards . . . but the summons means Osiris destroys him again . . . only to return to the field . . . whereupon I draw, but Osiris attacks! It . . . it's a confounded loop, a-a trap, with no way out!"

The dragon attacked. Revival Jam reformed. The mime drew. The dragon attacked . . .

"That's right!" the spirit cried as the cycle played itself out over and over. "Your puppet will draw until he runs out of cards. When you exhaust all the cards in your Deck, you automatically lose! Every Monster has a weakness, Malik, even an Egyptian God!" He saw the mime reach for cards and find none left in his Deck slot. "Malik, you have lost. This Duel is over! I win!"

* * *

Author's Note: Please be sure to check my bio page for any updates, etc. Thanks!


	20. Chapter 20 Counterblow

Disclaimer – Yu Yu Hakusho, Yu-Gi-Oh, and Ronin Warriors (a.k.a. Yoroiden: Samurai Troopers) and all related characters, events, and concepts belong to their respective owners. I get no monetary benefit from this. My benefit is the enjoyment of dealing with beloved characters. If you recognize him/her/it, I don't own him/her/it. If you don't recognize, I might still not be the owner but it'd be best to ask. I'd appreciate it, anyway. ((grin))

"The Spellfire Saga – 1: Shards"  
by DragonDancer5150

Chapter 20 – Counterblow

With that proclamation, both Duel Disks went dead, the programs terminating. Cards rained down around the mime's feet from his hand as the possessing energy released, the Horus Eye disappearing from his forehead. The Silent Puppet slumped to his knees, his strings cut. The dragon gave one final, dying snarl as he collapsed to the ground behind the mime, the impact of his ponderous body causing the ground to shake as thick clouds kicked up around him. When they cleared, he was gone.

"Incredible!" "Unbelievable!" "Mutou-san did it!" The cheers from the bridge were deafening as the company celebrated the victory, making their way down the embankment to the walkway behind the mime, the Ronins pausing first just long enough to shed their sub-Armors.

The spirit looked up at them, giving a thumbs-up and small nod of appreciation. Still, he held his position for now, keeping a close eye on the mime, suspecting that Malik had not yet had his final say.

Mokuba, however, was celebrating alongside the audience. "Yayy! Yugi did it! What an awesome comeback!" He, too, skidded down the embankment, ignoring the stairs at his feet to surf the slanting concrete. Being closer to the Duelists, he reached the mime before the others, dancing around out of the way of the retracting projectors from either side of the Dueling field. "Well, tournament rules – as the rarest card in your Deck, you must hand over your Egyptian God Card to your opponent, Mutou Yugi." The mime did not react, staring blankly at the ground in front of his knees. Mokuba hesitated. "Uh . . . hey. Are you all right, mister? Come on. Don't take it so hard. It's just a game."

Behind him, the spirit shook his head, realizing that the boy had no concept of the poor mime's cognition or who had really been in charge.

Mokuba glanced down and spotted the dragon's card on the ground among the rest. "Ah, there you are." Almost reverently, he picked up the card, gazing at the powerful dragon depicted on its face. "Wow, Osiris the Sky Dragon is awesome. I wish Big-Brother and I could keep it . . . but as commissioner of the Battle City Tournament," he added, turning to the spirit as the other stepped closer, as much to intercept if the mime should make a sudden move on the boy as for the card, "I have to hand this card over to you, Yugi – and you earned it! Oh, and his puzzle card, too." Locating it among the abandoned cards, he carried both over to Yugi.

The spirit nodded, giving the boy a genuine smile as he accepted the prizes. "Thank you, Mokuba."

8 8 8 8 8

Jun had bolted ahead of the others. "Kaiba-san!"

Kaiba reacted, then ignored the boy as his brother waved back enthusiastically.

"Hey, Yamano-kun! How's it going?" Though separated by three physical years and two school years, Mokuba recognized the younger boy from school. "Heh, I didn't see you standing over there. Wasn't that a great Duel?"

Kaiba had descended behind his brother and drew up next to his long-time rival. "Congratulations, Yugi. I have to say, that _was_ a well-fought Duel." Then he smirked, adding, "Too bad you won't have Osiris for long."

The other frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Because I am going to take him from you right here and now. The whole reason for holding this tournament is to get my hands on those cards, so that once more I will be undefeated champion. I have one God Card already. Yugi, for Osiris the Sky Dragon, I challenge you to a Duel!"

8 8 8 8 8

Even as Kaiba spoke, the company drew up behind and around the mime. Several braced suddenly, sensing a return of the dark, possessing energies as the mime stirred and began to chuckle low in his throat. "Mutou-san! Kaiba-san! Look out!" The noncombatants – Keiko, Yukina, Nasutei, Shizuru, and Jun – were pulled behind the line of fighters as they spread out slightly in a semi-circle around the laughing mime, shifting to defend Kaiba, Mokuba and Mutou as well if needed.

The mime pushed to his feet without warning. "Foolish! All of you!"

The spirit turned on the senseless human puppet, growling, "Enough of your mind tricks, Malik! Quit hiding and _show_ yourself!"

"Rest assured, Pharaoh – we will meet very, very soon! I am pulling in to Domino City and Battle City as we speak. Phase Two of my plan is already well underway, as my loyal Ghouls prepare for my arrival."

"Where, Malik? Where are they?"

"Heh – they are everywhere, in every corner of Battle City. They are my eyes, looking for new mind slaves to add to my collection." He paused a long moment, and no one liked the creepy feeling that spread among them. "So, Pharaoh, tell me . . . where are your friends? Do you know? . . . Because I do!"

No one's gasp was louder than the spirit's at the declaration. "_No!_ Malik, I'm warning you – leave them out of this! This is between you and me only. You leave them alone!"

"Oooh." Malik laughed cruelly. "I seem to have hit a sensitive spot. Have I found _your_ weakness, then, Pharaoh? I have a Rare Hunter very close to your friends' position. Through his eyes, I'm watching them even as we speak! So, let's see . . . Jonouchi – isn't that the name of one of them? Your fellow Duelist? Shall I take _him_ as my newest mind slave? Have him Duel for _me_ now?"

Yusuke's fists clenched and unclenched as he debated the usefulness of threatening a human doll to try to get to the controller behind it. Ryo growled low in his throat, a sound like a tiger's snarl. Both Kurama's and Shuten's eyes narrowed dangerously. Every one of those present knew what it was to have his friends threatened for use against him. Not only was it wrong and cowardly, it was vile and unforgivable. Still, this insult was Mutou's to answer first and many of those present knew firsthand how deeply close Mutou and Jonouchi were. No doubt the possessing spirit, this former pharaoh, felt the same.

8 8 8 8 8

"I'm warning you," the spirit snarled in hot fury, "do _not_ test me. If any harm befalls my friends, you _will_ regret it, Malik! Whatever you think I've done to you, they had no part in it! You settle your score with me and _me alone!_"

"Heh, heh – the more you talk, the deeper you dig their graves, Pharaoh. Just as my dragon's weakness destroyed him, your loyalty to your friends will be _your_ undoing."

"_No! _MALIK_!_" the spirit gasped as the mime collapsed facedown into the concrete. "_Damn!_ Jonouchi! I have to find him."

8 8 8 8 8

Yusuke growled in turn. "Hey, 'pharaoh', some of us were with your buddies just minutes ago. C'mon. I'll take you there!"

"I'll go with you," Touma asserted.

Ryo nodded. "Yeah, you do that. Take him to Jonouchi-san. The rest of us will keep an eye out for this Malik guy. Mutou-san, you don't happen to know what he looks like, do you?"

"I would imagine he looks a lot like his sister," Shuten put in. "Egyptian, dark-skinned, black hair . . . "

8 8 8 8 8

"His . . . sister?" the spirit echoed, then shook his head. "No, I've never seen him, only his agents." The spirit hesitated a moment, wondering just how much they knew of what was going on. They were certainly jumping in readily enough – and did they not have their own matters with which to contend? Still, at this point, he could not afford but to accept all the help he could get – and perhaps there was a correlation of which he was yet unaware. "I know that he'll be carrying a rod or maybe scepter of some sort, made of gold and with an Eye design matching this one." He indicated the Millennium Puzzle, glancing down to do so even as one hand cupped it up for inspection. As he looked back up from his treasure, the redhead caught and held his gaze with eyes of intense emerald green, and he was suddenly stricken with a sense of agelessness and a great, subdued power quite unlike his own. He remembered the redhead introducing himself last night right before the company had left for the Underworld.

"Pharaoh-sama, do not worry," Kurama swore. "If it can be helped, your friends will be safe, and this Malik person will be brought down. What he has done and what he threatens to do is _unforgivably_ wrong."

For some reason, the spirit knew there was far more weight to those words than even what there seemed on the surface, and he nodded in appreciation. "Thank you."

"No one is catching anyone if you guys don't hurry and get going!" one of the girls in the group put in.

"Right. Pharaoh?" his self-appointed guide queried.

The spirit nodded. "Yes. Let's go!"

"Good luck!" Mokuba shouted as the spirit started to take off behind his two new companions.

Kaiba scowled. "Yugi, come back here! You have a Duel to attend to. It's against tournament rules to run away from a challenge."

The spirit skidded to a stop, whirling on Kaiba in exasperation. "Jonouchi's in danger, Kaiba! I can't leave my friend alone. I won't! Our Duel will just have to wait!" With that, he spun on his heel and pounded up the stairs of the embankment after his guides.

8 8 8 8 8

Kaiba shook his head, folding his arms in his own annoyance. "He gives up his Duelist's pride for his friends."

Seiji glared at him, lavender eyes flashing in anger. "You have no concept about real pride and honor, have you?"

Kaiba started to retort but spotted one of the others gathering up the unconscious mime's Duel Monster cards. "What are you doing? Those aren't yours."

Shu glared up at him. "This guy's nothing but a shell. He's not a real Duelist, an' his puppet master sure doesn't deserve 'em back. I'd say his lack of honor has lost him his Dueling Deck. You got a problem with that?"

Kaiba gazed down at him for a long moment. "I saw your face in my tournament system yesterday. Shu Rei Fuan, isn't it? You were listed up to four puzzle cards before skipping out in the middle of a Duel. You dropped out of the tournament last night."

The mime's Deck in his hand, Shu pushed to his feet, standing before Kaiba with a quiet pride of his own. "Yeah, I did. There are things more important than Dueling. Mutou-san understands that. Will _you_ ever learn that lesson, Kaiba-_chama_?"

Kaiba regarded him and his gathered companions for a long moment, then turned to look in the direction Yugi and the other two had taken off. "We'll see if there is such a lesson to be learned. Come on, Mokuba." He started up the stairs.

"Where are we going, Big-Brother?"

Halfway up the embankment, Kaiba paused and looked back down at his brother, then past him at the gathered company. "Battle City's too big. Yugi will never find that horse's bone in time, not without help." He turned and continued up the stairs, Mokuba on his heels.

Shu growled. "What? Who're you callin' a horse's bone, you – ?"

Ryo grabbed him before he took off after Kaiba. "Shu, cool it! Never mind him. We have to find this Malik guy."

"Besides," Rajura commented, "unless I'm mistaken, he basically just said he was going to help."

"In any case, let us split up once more," Shuten suggested. "Rajura, Seiji, go with Anubisu's group to replace Touma and Yusuke. There cannot be so many ways into this city. We will cover the primary ones and see if we can locate Malik before he can cause too much more damage."

"Ugh," Kuwabara groaned. "We got possessin' armors, possessin' ancient spirits, and now a possessin' mad guy with a gold stick!"

"Gets crazier and crazier, doesn't it, little bro?"

"And Sohma and his armor have yet to make _their_ appearance today," Naaza reminded them.

Hiei snorted. "The day's still young."

The groups took off their separate ways, relaying their plan to Touma and Yusuke.

8 8 8 8 8

Yusuke noted the brief glance Touma got from "Pharaoh," who had perhaps sensed the energies that reached out to Touma, who then had informed his companions. Looking grimly ahead, Yusuke chided, _Jonouchi, I told you to keep your eyes peeled. I just hope to _hell_ you were listening!_

* * *

Author's Note: Please be sure to check my bio page for any updates, etc. Thanks!

_**"Horse's bone"**_ – literal translation for the phrase "ume no hone." An expression Kaiba uses on a regular basis to refer to Jonouchi, it is a Japanese colloquial idiom meaning a common thing or a nobody.


	21. Chapter 21 Interrupted

Disclaimer – Yu Yu Hakusho, Yu-Gi-Oh, and Ronin Warriors (a.k.a. Yoroiden: Samurai Troopers) and all related characters, events, and concepts belong to their respective owners. I get no monetary benefit from this. My benefit is the enjoyment of dealing with beloved characters. If you recognize him/her/it, I don't own him/her/it. If you don't recognize, I might still not be the owner but it'd be best to ask. I'd appreciate it, anyway. ((grin))

"The Spellfire Saga – 1: Shards"  
by DragonDancer5150

Chapter 21 – Interrupted

"Oh, great! They've moved on already."

The spirit's two guides stopped abruptly at a concrete planter, surveying the town square where they said they had left Jonouchi and crew. The spirit skidded to a stop behind them, his breathing slightly ragged. He had been hard-pressed to keep up, hampered by Yugi's much shorter gait, and these two had a level of endurance that put even Jonouchi's to shame.

"They can't have gotten far," the blue-haired Ronin insisted. "Come on. Maybe they've wandered back into the park or somethin'."

The spirit growled, not for the first time questioning why he had trusted these two. Yugi recognized the black-haired boy from school, but that did not mean anything. Not truly meaning to speak his suspicions aloud in his own deep frustration and worry, he caught the Ronin's arm before he realized what he was doing. "If you're leading me in circles or deliberately off-course – "

"Huh?" The accusation honestly seemed to surprise Ronin.

"Whoa, hey! Back off, spook!" the other snapped, yanking the spirit's hand off of his companion's arm.

"E-excuse me?" the spirit startled, taken aback by his choice of words.

"Look, Pharaoh-sama," the Ronin murmured, dropping his voice as he pulled the spirit aside to a marginally more private spot in the square. "You're worried. I understand that. We only wanna help, I promise!"

"Yeah, you heard me right," the rougher of the two grunted. "Chh, with or without that Malik guy, we already know you're not Mutou. In fact, is he in there? Hey, Mutou, can you hear me?"

"H-how do you – ?" The spirit stopped, shaking his head.

8 8 8 8 8

Yugi was only a little surprised when the blue-haired boy reacted and turned in his general direction, sensing when he emerged to stand by his friend's side. It was the fact that his schoolmate looked him dead in the eye without hesitation that unnerved him a little. [_U-urameshi-kun?_] He pushed a little, expending extra energy, in the hopes of being heard. He was rewarded with a startled flinch from the Ronin.

"Hey, there you are. Listen, tell your buddy _he's_ the one wastin' time findin' Jonouchi if he's gonna start askin' a bunch of questions."

"You . . . can _see_ him?" the spirit realized in shock. This was quickly getting very disconcerting.

Without taking his eyes off Yugi, Urameshi nodded. "Hear 'im, too."

Yugi regarded him for a brief moment before turning to the spirit. [_I think it's all right, Nakama. Besides, I've known of Urameshi-kun for a long time as a really tough street brawler like Jou-kun and Honda-kun used to be, but he's not really a bully or anything. He even got in that car accident from trying to save a little boy he didn't even know. I've never known him to do anything I'd really suspect._]

Urameshi gave him a lopsided grin. "Heh – gee, thanks, I think."

The spirit considered his partner's words, then turned to Urameshi. "How much do you know of what is going on?"

"More than we have time to explain right now, believe me!"

[_What of your own . . . enemy, though, Urameshi-kun? Is your group going to be all right?_]

Now it was Urameshi's turn to be surprised, asking without thinking, "Huh? How do you – ? What do you know 'bout that?"

Yugi shrugged with a small grin. [_Heh, more than we have time to explain right now._]

"Why are you helping?" the spirit wanted to know, ever braced and wary of traps.

8 8 8 8 8

Yusuke met both their eyes and all but growled with remembered pain and anger, "'Cuz I _know_ what it's like to have the few friends I've got threatened and used against me." He watched the spirit hold his ground, though Mutou took a step back from the low, unbridled fury in those words. " 'Sides, I've spent some time with your buddy now, and he seems all right. I won't stand by and let that Malik guy take advantage of him – or your granddad or your other friends."

Yugi gasped. [_Grandpa! Oh, no! That's right – he's in danger, too, and Anzu and Honda-kun!_]

8 8 8 8 8

"That way," Touma murmured suddenly, gazing off to their left. He could not don his sub-Armor out in such a public spot – so he could sense but not see Yugi, and hear him but barely. Therefore, he had turned his attention instead to locating any trace of dark energies and caught a brief impression down one of the cross streets just yards from their current position.

Yusuke nodded, then held a hand out to the spirit. "In or out, Pharaoh?"

8 8 8 8 8

With Yugi's trust in their new companions, the spirit did not hesitate, accepting Urameshi's hand in a Duelist's clasp. "In. Thank you, both of you. Let's go!" Yugi withdrew, and the three took off once more.

8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8

Darting down the cross street, the trio rounded a corner and into an alley only to find their way blocked by a pair of thugs in plum-colored robes, each sporting a Duel Disk on his arm. One was squat and bald, just barely taller than Yugi and as wide as he was tall, the other a beanpole of lanky proportions with spiky, periwinkle hair. The two gave them nasty grins as they braced, presenting their Duel Disks.

"Going somewhere?" the fat Ghoul smirked. "Lookin' for your friends, I bet? We'll tell you – after you beat us in a Duel."

"Heh, _if_ you can," the tall one taunted.

Yusuke braced down in a fighting stance, reflexively pulling the spirit behind himself to protect his smaller schoolmate as he threw Touma a grin of anticipation. "Hey, Hashiba, your buddy Anubisu was right. Purple's definitely the color of the day. I say it's time for some new colors – like black and blue!"

Touma nodded, turning to glare at the two Ghouls. "Tell us where Mutou-san's friends are, and I _might_ be able to keep Urameshi-kun here from breaking _both_ your legs."

8 8 8 8 8

The spirit moved from behind Urameshi, laying a restraining hand on his arm. "Urameshi and . . . – " He paused just long enough to recall the blue-haired boy's name from the introductions he had overheard the evening before. " – Hashiba, thank you but that will not be necessary – "

At the same time, Fatty was chuckling cruelly. "Heh, that's not how the game is played, _boy_. Our orders from Malik-sama are quite specific. You, Yugi, have to duel us – both of us – to get past us."

"Yeah, and if you refuse, your friends will be killed."

The spirit saw Hashiba glance down at him and note the scowl on his face. "How do we know you even have them?"

Slim smirked. "How do you know we don't?"

"Enough," the spirit grunted, bold steps carrying him ahead of his companions. "I agree to your terms. Who's first?"

Fatty looked up at Slim. "Well?"

"Heh, the honor's yours."

"No, no – you first. I insist."

8 8 8 8 8

Yusuke rolled his eyes as the two villains decided to settle the order of play with Rock-Paper-Scissors . . . only to tie one another over a half-dozen times in a row. At length, he heard "Pharaoh" growl.

"This is ridiculous," the spirit snapped at them. "It doesn't matter which of you I defeat first, so I'll choose."

"No, you will not! It does matter, especially since only one of us can Duel you at a time – "

"Not if both of us Duel against you."

Everyone turned in shock at the new voice. "Kaiba," the spirit breathed in disbelief.

It was Yusuke's turn to growl. "Whadda _you_ want, rich boy?"

Kaiba ignored him as he drew even with the spirit, Mokuba catching up just behind. "Now it's two on two."

"Fine," Slim barked. "We accept your challenge."

Touma gazed for a moment at Kaiba, then motioned at Yusuke, palming his Armor orb in his other hand. "Urameshi, you . . . better get back." With a frown, Yusuke followed suit.

8 8 8 8 8

Kaiba met the blue-haired boy's eye only briefly, smirking, as he slid his Deck into place on his Duel Disk. By peripheral vision, he noted Yugi doing the same. Without taking his eyes off the opponents, he told his new, temporary Dueling partner, "Don't misunderstand me. I'm holding this Battle City Tournament not only to gather the God Cards but to vanquish the Rare Hunters. I can't let them do whatever they want. I'm not here to help your 'nameless' friend . . . but if you _want_ to use your new God Card," he added, shifting his eyes then to his primary rival, "that's all right. I'll step aside."

" . . . Kaiba."

"Heh, we know Yugi has Osiris the Sky Dragon, and we plan to take it – along with your Obelisk, if you really do have it, Kaiba," Fatty taunted.

"Duel us and find out," Kaiba returned confidently. "Duel start!" He and Yugi activated their Duel Disks in unison, professionally matching gestures in pageant and flourish.

8 8 8 8 8

Touma and Yusuke backpedaled further as four sets of projectors shot out to define the Dueling field, the launches setting off fleeting dust devils across the pavement. Four small screens popped into existence for an instant, registering the starting 4000 Life Points each of the quadruple Duelists. Touma crossed behind Kaiba to join Yusuke in the spirit's corner of the field as each participant drew his first five hand cards.

Fatty simpered, "So, who shall begin?"

"We'll let you go first, Kaiba," Slim offered at the same time, his tone one of mock-graciousness.

"Hn. Conquering you two fools won't take long at all – trust me." Kaiba drew his first card, glancing at it with a smirk before turning it out for his opponents to see. "First I play the magic card: Pot of Greed. It allows me to draw two additional cards on my turn." He did so. "Next, I summon the mighty Lord of Dragons." A thickly-muscled warrior appeared on the field in front of Kaiba, wearing an armor reminiscent of a stylized dragon skeleton. His stat screen displayed 1200/1100. "And I give him, not one, but two Flutes of Summoning Dragon." Two carven horns appeared, one in each of the Lord's hands, the flaring ends worked into dragonheads with mouths open.

"Wha-what is all this?" Slim wanted to know.

"Hn. Even an amateur knows that a Flute of Dragon Summoning combined with the Lord of Dragons allows one to Special Summon two dragons onto the Dueling field – and since I have two flutes in play, I can call four dragons!"

Fatty gasped. "Four in one turn!"

"Yes!" Kaiba hissed. "Now, behold the awesome power of three Blue-Eyes White Dragons! Plus the magnificent Hyozanryu!" Kaiba's signature great wyrms rose from their cards amid thunderous bellowing roars, their stat screens reading an impressive 3000/2500 apiece. Another creature joined them a second thereafter, a dragon of glittering diamond, her stat screen displaying 2100/2800.

8 8 8 8 8

The spirit stood rooted for just a moment, gazing up at the beasts – though he could hardly help a twinge of relief that he was standing alongside the dragons for once rather than facing them himself.

8 8 8 8 8

"Whoa . . . So those are Kaiba-kun's Blue-Eyes' that Shu's told me about," Touma breathed in awe, stunned by the sheer power of the dragons. He could feel their tangible strength throbbing in his mind and through the orb in his hand. Yusuke only nodded mutely, similarly aware of the dragons.

8 8 8 8 8

One of the Blue-Eyes advanced a step, leaning in to roar over Slim, who backpedaled from the terrible dragon. Kaiba stood proudly, arms folded in rude confidence, his five Monsters surrounding him and Yugi and completely filling their end of the field. "I hope you realize that this is just the beginning of the terror my Deck has in store for you," he commented in a low, almost lethal voice. "It only gets better from here . . . for me, that is. So feel free to forfeit the Duel at any time."

Ignoring him, Fatty drew for his turn. "No. I place one Monster in Defense Mode."

"My turn." The spirit drew a card, adding it to his hand, then removed two that he had drawn initially. "I play two cards facedown – "

"Stay out of this, Yugi!" Kaiba snapped, startling the spirit. "I don't need your help. I want to fight these Rare Hunters on my own."

8 8 8 8 8

The spirit regarded him for a moment. "All right, Kaiba. I'll just watch. I play Kuriboh in Defense Mode." The oversized, brown furball appeared, his stat screen showing 300/200. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Hashiba elbow Urameshi before the other could comment. "It's your move."

8 8 8 8 8

Fatty gazed in trepidation at the dragons. "I hope you've got a plan," he muttered at his companion.

Smirking, Slim only nodded. He drew, and his ugly grin deepened. He slid the card into a spell/trap slot. "I set one card, and add this Monster in Defense Mode." Both cards appeared on the field, facedown.

Kaiba sneered. "If you're trying to lay a trap, you're wasting your time – and mine."

"Be careful, Kaiba," the spirit warned. "Rare Hunters can be cunning."

Kaiba favored him with a glance sidelong. "I said, mind your own business, Yugi."

"This _is_ my business!" the spirit snarled, and Kaiba knew him well enough to know what he was thinking, how he must be worried over the time slipping through his fingers – time that might cost his friends their lives.

Undaunted by his rival's anger, Kaiba grinned in anticipation, his answer surprising the other a little. "It's time, Yugi." He turned back to the Hunters, though he still addressed his partner-rival indirectly. "Let me show you _my_ God Card." He glanced again for just an instant, smirking at the hint of wonder seeping into amethyst eyes at his words. "On my turn, I sacrifice my three mighty Blue-Eyes White Dragons to summon my all-powerful Egyptian God, Obelisk the Great War God!"

8 8 8 8 8

The spirit fell back a step, staring in disbelief as a great shining radiance enveloped the three proud dragons and their bodies shattered, consumed by the effects of the summoning. Light erupted from Kaiba's Duel Disk as he placed the card, a column of power that temporarily engulfed the entire alley, shooting skyward for hundreds of feet. When anyone could see again, a massive figure of at least fifty to seventy feet in height stood towering over the players, a thickset golem of ancient stone. Only Kaiba himself was unmoved by the god's appearance. The Rare Hunters gaped up at the beast in unrestrained terror. Hashiba and Urameshi fell back against the wall of the building behind them, heads pounding with the incredible energies washing up and down the alley. Even the spirit himself gazed up in unbridled shock, the Monster's power hammering at his supernatural senses.

8 8 8 8 8

"I'm not finished." Kaiba's voice broke through the air. "I next sacrifice my other two Monsters to further power up my Obelisk." The Great War God reached down, taking Hyozanryu and Lord of Dragons each in an oversized fist. Both burst into electronic sparks, their energies flowing visibly into Obelisk. Poor little Kuriboh, the only other remaining Monster, was left to gaze up with eyes rolling in stunned reaction to the power of his deific companion. "And now, Obelisk – demolish their defenses!" The god pulled back his fist, then punched forward in an open-palm strike, devastating energy washing the opposite side of the field and consuming both facedown Monster cards.

"Ahh! Our defenses!" Fatty moaned in horror.

"It's Obelisk's special effect to wipe out all opponents' Monsters," Kaiba gloated. "And now, my God Card, finish them off!"

"Hah!" Slim cried even as Obelisk dove forward with a tight-fisted punch. "Sorry to disappoint you, but – reveal trap card: Mirror Force! This will reflect your attack right back at you!" His facedown card stood up, a prismatic wall of force erupting to catch the Monster's attack energy.

8 8 8 8 8

The spirit gasped. He had used the ploy numerous times himself, being the owner of an identical card. One of the rarest and most potent traps in the game, Mirror Force would indeed reflect the attack, automatically destroying all Monsters on his and Kaiba's side of the field. Even though both stood at full Life Points, they could not afford such a strike, the intensity of the attack sure to wipe them both out in one fell blow. Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do to stop it. He braced in dismay, glancing at Kaiba.

Kaiba Seto's smirk was undiminished. "Heh, I'm sorry to disappoint _you_, but I'm afraid that your weak trap card won't work against a God!" As if to prove his summoner's words, Obelisk punched right through the irised film of energy as easily as through a soap bubble, inflicting his damage directly to his enemies' Life Points. The result exploded through the alley like a tactical nuclear bomb, and both Rare Hunters were thrown backwards to the ground by its force, the numbers on both of their stat screens plummeting to zero in a heartbeat. Kaiba stood laughing almost maniacally as the Duel Disks powered down, their projectors retracting back into position on either side of their owners' armcuffs. "Yugi, did you see that!" he crowed in exaltation.

The spirit could not deny that he was impressed. "Yes, I did, Kaiba. Now – " He darted forward, descending on Fatty. Dropping to one knee, he buried both fists in the front of the squat villain's robe and pulled him into a half-sitting position, snarling, "_Where are my friends?_" He dropped the man in disgust when the other only moaned, barely on the verge of consciousness.

"Mutou!" "Mutou-san!" Urameshi and Hashiba sprinted to his side.

Kaiba strode forward to Slim, pulling two puzzle cards off the unconscious Ghoul. "Yugi!" As the spirit turned, Kaiba flung one of the plastic cards, retaining the other for himself. "Don't leave without your prize. Catch!"

The spirit easily snatched it mid-flight, then shoved back to his feet. "Thank you for your help, Kaiba." He met Hashiba's and Urameshi's eyes, each of whom nodded grimly. "All right, then. Let's go." The three started off.

"Yugi, hold on!"

The spirit stopped with a growl. He had expected it, but that did not make it any less frustrating. "Kaiba, I will _NOT_ Duel you! Not until I know my friends are safe!" he cried, pre-empting Kaiba's request.

Pointedly ignoring the comment, Kaiba surprised the spirit by turning instead to his brother, Mokuba, standing several feet back with the ever-present big steel-alloy briefcase. "Mokuba, contact headquarters. Have them use the satellite system to track the location of Jonouchi Katsuya. I'm sure the rest will be with him."

The spirit relaxed his braced stance, further surprised by Kaiba's gesture. "Again, thank you, Kaiba."

Urameshi was not impressed. "Ri-ight. In return for what, rich boy?"

Kaiba allowed a brief glance of disdain before addressing his rival. "I'll help you find that pathetic wannabe and your other cronies. Then, you better be ready to Duel me."

Hashiba folded his arms. "Tenacious and single-minded – those _can_ be admirable traits."

For his part, the spirit only nodded, face set in grim determination. Those were terms with which he could live.

"My state-of-the-art tracking system should pick him up in no time. Come on." This time, Kaiba led the way, continuing on down the alley as his brother broke off in another direction, having his own duty to fulfill as tournament commissioner.

8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8

_Hm . . . interesting. They gather, fracture, gather . . . fracture again. Too bad they can't seem to get their collective acts together. Perhaps I'll just tag along and see what fun there is to be had before ending this once and for all. Who knows? Maybe there'll be some additional rewards to gain in the process. I've been too hasty just yet. Time has passed in spades . . . -snicker- and hearts, clubs, and diamonds, to boot. Anyway, what's a little longer? All things are really nothing but games in the end. Master the rules, learn how to bend and contort them . . . twist and shape them, and every game becomes yours for the winning. This Malik person seems to know the game well. "Check" has been declared, and I wonder –_

_How soon to "checkmate?"_

* * *

Author's Note: Please be sure to check my bio page for any updates, etc. Thanks!


	22. Chapter 22 Frustrations

Disclaimer – Yu Yu Hakusho, Yu-Gi-Oh, and Ronin Warriors (a.k.a. Yoroiden: Samurai Troopers) and all related characters, events, and concepts belong to their respective owners. I get no monetary benefit from this. My benefit is the enjoyment of dealing with beloved characters. If you recognize him/her/it, I don't own him/her/it. If you don't recognize, I might still not be the owner but it'd be best to ask. I'd appreciate it, anyway. ((grin))

"The Spellfire Saga – 1: Shards"  
by DragonDancer5150

Chapter 22 – Frustrations

Five minutes, ten minutes – the spirit lost track of time as they walked the streets of Domino, and his irritation grew with each step. He and Hashiba had already had to rein in Urameshi's ill-humor more than once from insulting Kaiba out of helping them even as he fought to control his own rising temper, knowing that he needed his head and heart clear to deal with whatever traps lay in wait for him ahead. He could only hope none of his present companions got hurt along the way. Still, they had insisted on participating, even knowing what might be in store.

-_So do Jonouchi-kun and the others,_- Yugi reminded him quietly from within their heart. -_All we can do is have faith that they're all right until we know otherwise._-

-_Considering Malik's intentions and his known actions thus far,_- the spirit replied with a scowl, -_I'm afraid we would be terribly wrong to assume anything other than the very worst. He wields a Millennium Item, Aibou. You and I both know how powerful our own is, the Millennium Puzzle – and he can affect people across distances with his! He has already proven to have a blatant disregard for human life. He seeks mine in vengeance. I do not doubt that he will use any means necessary to attain that goal, including the lives of _anyone_ who stands with us._- He cast a furtive glance at his three companions even as his mind considered the four they sought. His eyes closed in pain, knowing that he was the cause of this entire mess – he and events from a distant past of which he had no memory. His hands closed in tight fists at his sides.

-_ . . . Nakama . . . _-

An electronic trill broke the silence, and Kaiba's hand went to a pin on the collar of his duster. "Kaiba."

A male voice sounded over a miniature speaker. "Kaiba-sama, Jonouchi Katsuya-kun's Duel Disk signal has been traced to Sector 075."

"Well done. Kaiba out."

The spirit looked sidelong at him. "Well? What exactly is Sector 075?"

"Bay area. Namely Domino Aquarium." His eyes shifting without turning his head, Kaiba met the vivid eyes watching him closely. "Don't misunderstand me. I'm not interested in the horse's bone. I'm just in this for your God Card."

The spirit stopped at that, irritation boiling over into real anger at Kaiba's words. "Jonouchi is an excellent player, Kaiba. I will _not_ allow you to continue to insult him so! I have promised to Duel Jonouchi myself here in Battle City, and that is deeply important to both of us."

Kaiba was about to respond when his attention was pulled from amethyst eyes to rich sapphire. Hashiba regarded him with a piercing gaze and even the spirit gave pause at the sight. "You know, I have to wonder, Kaiba-san – if you really don't care, how come you hafta keep assertin' that fact over and over again? Are you tryin' to convince Mutou-san . . . or yourself?"

"Heh," Urameshi murmured, folding his arms, "been kinda wonderin' about that, too." He cocked an eyebrow at Kaiba.

8 8 8 8 8

Kaiba met three sets of questioning, challenging eyes – two jewel-tones, one the color of rich earth. At length, he shrugged with a smirk. "You two aren't Duelists. I don't expect you to be able to comprehend. Come on, Yugi. Let's go find your friends."

"Why that - !" Kaiba heard Urameshi grumbled as he started walking again, regardless of whether or not the rest followed.

8 8 8 8 8

The spirit stayed his companion with a hand on the other's arm. "Urameshi, let it go," he sighed. He hesitated a moment, gazing after Kaiba before following, and could only wonder – what _was_ that he had seen in Kaiba's sharp blue eyes for just that instant? Could it be . . . that Hashiba was right? He shook his head as he quickened his steps, closing the distance between himself and Kaiba. That would have to wait or else play itself out as the gods willed it.

8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8

They had to cross much of the city to get to the marina, and they lost precious time doing so even at a brisk jog. At length, however, the entrance to the aquarium came into view. Kaiba, Urameshi and the spirit slowed to a stop for a moment to take stock and let Hashiba catch up, who had stopped a ways back to concentrate through his Armor orb for passing Shadow energies. "This had better be the right place," the spirit muttered before he could catch himself, not meaning to speak the thought aloud.

"Don't worry, Yugi. Kaiba Corps' satellite system traced Jonouchi's signal to this exact location. Without that signal back to the mainframe computer, his Duel Disk would not even operate – just like yours shouldn't have yesterday," he added, his expression inviting an answer to the mystery of Yugi's short-lived disappearance the afternoon before.

The spirit grimaced. He knew what it was to which Kaiba referred and could feel the silent question from Urameshi as well. That had been his Duel with Pandora, an experience he would rather forget for a number of reasons. Rather than bother answering, he ignored them to bolt into the aquarium, his focus and his concern ahead of him right now, not behind. Urameshi took off on his heels.

8 8 8 8 8

Kaiba watched the two and shook his head. "I pay so much attention to that nobody. I really can't figure it out."

"Yeah, I think you can."

Kaiba managed not to jump as Hashiba drew up next to him, covering his surprise with wordless strides into the marina, the blue-haired boy a step behind.

8 8 8 8 8

Inside, the spirit gave a cursory glance around the outer court before darting up stairs to the top of a stadium, the seating full of cheering onlookers as an orca played with its trainer in the tank below. Jonouchi and the others were nowhere to be seen.

"Strike two," Urameshi growled, his frustration beginning to match "Pharaoh's."

"Let us pray we do not reach third strike and out," the spirit muttered with a nod, comprehending the reference through Yugi's limited sports knowledge. On the stairs down to the food-and-souvenir court, they intercepted Hashiba and Kaiba. "Whatever activity your satellites picked up here has passed. Jonouchi and the others are gone."

Hashiba snapped his fingers. "Cell phone!"

"Huh?" Yusuke and the spirit chorused.

"Do any of your friends carry a cell phone?"

The spirit managed _not_ to plant his face in one palm in self-reproach. _Why didn't I think of that?_ "Of course! Yes, Anzu has one." As he looked around for the nearest payphone, he felt something slapped into his hand – a phone card. Urameshi gave him a silent thumb's-up, and he nodded his gratitude before spotting a phone booth. The spirit did not know Anzu's number but Yugi had it by heart and the spirit dialed, having to try twice before getting it right in his haste. He listened impatiently as the tone sounded in his ear, and he began to fear that he would only get her voicemail. Then, a click interrupted the third ring – but no one answered. "Anzu? Anzu? Are you there?" He thought he could hear soft breathing as someone listened in dispassionate silence to his voice. Then, in the background, he heard Anzu's sudden cries of "Yugi! Help!"

"Anzu!" He heard a clattering as though the phone had been dropped, then a crunching sound and static. "Anzu! _No – ANZU!_" He slammed the handset onto the receiver with a curse and threw open the door of the booth. "We're too late! The Hunters already have them. I think one of them answered her phone but then smashed it."

"Crap. Now what?" Urameshi wanted to know as he accepted his phone card back.

Kaiba shrugged. "We wait until my satellites get a lock on Jonouchi's Disk again. Even when not in direct use, each Disk puts off a unique signal." He gazed down at his rival for a long moment, then pushed off from the electrical pole on which he had been leaning. "Listen, Yugi. Calm down. It's obvious that you're the one that they're after – you and your Egyptian God Card – not your friends. At best, they're nothing more than pawns, a means to get to you. You know that as well as I do. I really doubt they'll actually be harmed." A small wry grin graced his visage as he regarded the spirit a moment longer before turning to stride a few steps along the pavement. "You know, Yugi – it's kind of funny, really." He stopped, turning back to meet purple eyes watching him in wary curiosity. "Here I am walking side-by-side with my greatest rival. Of course, I'm sure you'd understand if I confess that all I can think about is how to defeat you," he concluded with a shrug that was somewhere between pseudo-apology and droll amusement.

The spirit contemplated him quietly before responding, "And I'm sure you understand if I say that all I can think about is how to save my friends – save Jonouchi."

_Dee-dee-deet! Dee-dee-deet! Dee-dee-deet!_ "Big-Brother, come in!"

Kaiba frowned at the sound of his brother's voice over the mini-speaker. He touched the pin on his collar. "What is it, Mokuba?"

"We have a problem. Jonouchi's Duel Disk isn't transmitting a signal to the satellite system. I'm up on a roof with your techno-case so I know _my_ access to the system is clear. I think something must be blocking Jonouchi's signal. I'm gonna go back to headquarters and make sure the team is working on the tracking problem myself."

"You do that."

"Big-Brother, Yugi, we'll find these guys. I promise!"

"As soon as you do – "

"Gotcha. I'll let you know."

8 8 8 8 8

The three saw Kaiba nod absently as he pressed off his communication pin. "Hn, either my satellite system has a glitch – unlikely – or these Rare Hunters are smarter than I thought."

Yusuke grunted. "Bets on which?"

"Kaiba-san," Touma ventured with a frown, "is it really all right for your little brother to be wanderin' around town alone like that?"

Kaiba scowled at him. "What do you mean?"

"Well, if these Rare Hunters are after God Cards and they've grabbed Mutou-san's friends to get to him an' his Osiris, who d'you think they'll target in order to manipulate you an' Obelisk, eh?" Incredibly, Touma saw that the thought did not seem to have occurred to Kaiba, believing himself untouchable by his enemies.

The spirit's glower was black. The thought of the young boy as a target unsettled him. "Hashiba has a point, Kaiba – "

8 8 8 8 8

Kaiba waved them both off, though he could not quite hide the growing thorn of uncertainty. "Mokuba's not stupid. All he has to do is call one of our helicopters to come pick him up."

"Given the chance," Urameshi added darkly. Kaiba threw him a threatening glare but did not respond, only turned on his heel with a swish of fabrics, his duster flaring like a cloak, and he stalked off to let the others catch up as they so chose.

8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8

Several more minutes and a few streets down the way, Touma paced with Yusuke behind Kaiba and the spirit's lead when a tickle of warning scratched at the back of his mind from his Armor orb. His initial, sharp intake of breath caught everyone's attentions even before his gasp of "Mutou-san, Kaiba-san!"

"Heads up!" Yusuke pointed ahead even as Kaiba and the spirit had turned back to question Touma.

The spirit and Kaiba shifted in unison, facing a plum-robed figure that dropped suddenly to the ground in front of the foursome, landing in a crouch before straightening with a mad cackle. The figure was thick and shortish, the oversized hood of his cloak completely obscuring his face in shadow.

"Rare Hunter," Kaiba gasped in a low voice.

"What have you done with my friends?"

Just then, the sound of an approaching helicopter struck them, and the robed figure pointed the group's attention behind them. The foursome braced with arms over their faces as a terrific wind swept into existence, dust and debris from the street kicking up all around them.

"Damn!" Touma swore. "I _hate_ when I'm right!"

8 8 8 8 8

"MOKUBA!" Kaiba stared in stricken shock as a helicopter hovered into view over the main street from a side alley, his brother dangling like the carrot before the proverbial donkey from a rope that bound his trunk and arms. The group could see Mokuba calling out to them, but the beating of the chopper's blades drowned out his voice by overwhelming decibels.

Kaiba spun in fury on the Hunter standing before them. "You'll pay for this! If you so much as harm a single hair on my brother's head, I swear that I'll hunt down every last one of you and crush you all with the full weight of the entire Kaiba Corporation!"

"Your empty threats will get you nowhere. Only one way to save him, Kaiba," sneered a familiar voice. "You will meet us on the roof of _that_ building." He pointed to his right, past the buildings on this street to a high-rise in the distance, a tower of steel and glass probably fifty stories in height. "That is – if you ever expect to see your brother again! The choice is yours." Engines whined, and Kaiba glanced back to see the helicopter rise above the immediate constructions and take off back in the direction of the bay.

"No! Mokuba!"

"Kaiba's presence is not the only one required. If you ever want to be reunited with your friends, you'll join us as well, Yugi."

8 8 8 8 8

"_Listen to me!_" the spirit snarled in deep fury, blatantly ignoring the swell of mystical energies immediately behind him. "I've warned you to leave them _out_ of this! You tell Malik – !"

The Hunter only laughed, a deep, throaty sound. "_You_ tell him – when you get to the designated Dueling field." The Hunter then turned and bolted for the buildings on the side of the street in the direction of the high-rise. He displayed almost inhuman strength and agility as he leaped from planter to awning to windowsill in gaining the rooftops before disappearing from view.

"Coward! Come back here – !" A cool, gloved hand on his shoulder was the only thing that kept the spirit from taking off after the Hunter right then.

Sapphire eyes met amethyst for just an instant. "I'm on him, Pharaoh-sama. Meet us there!" A humanoid flash of blue-and-white took off after the Hunter, catching up with amazing speed.

"What the _hell_ – ?" Kaiba started, gaping after Hashiba. Then, he shook it from his mind, turning to the spirit. "Looks like we don't have a choice. Our enemies are one now." The spirit nodded in silent acknowledgement. "But make no mistake. I'm in this for Mokuba alone. You're on your own to get your friends back."

"That's fine, Kaiba."

"No, he's not," Urameshi growled, then took off down the street. Without hesitation, Kaiba and the spirit pounded off after him.

* * *

Author's Note: Please be sure to check my bio page for any updates, etc. Thanks!


	23. Chapter 23 The Spider's Parlor

Disclaimer – Yu Yu Hakusho, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and Ronin Warriors (a.k.a. Yoroiden: Samurai Troopers) and all related characters, events, and concepts belong to their respective owners. I get no monetary benefit from this. My benefit is the enjoyment of dealing with beloved characters. If you recognize him/her/it, I don't own him/her/it. If you don't recognize, I might still not be the owner but it'd be best to ask. I'd appreciate it, anyway. ((grin))

"The Spellfire Saga – 1: Shards"  
by DragonDancer5150

Chapter 23 – The Spider's Parlor

In the undergear of the Armor of the Heavens, Touma had no problem keeping up with the Hunter, who noted his tailgater with increasingly flustered glances over his shoulder. The two gained the roof of the building, joining another Hunter already awaiting the arrivals. This one was taller than his companion, his build slender beneath the robe. Touma looked the two up and down, then growled, "Hang on! You two are those jokers from the alley!" They kept their heads down enough that their cowls still hid their faces in deep shadow, but Touma was not fooled.

8 8 8 8 8

"Very perceptive," Slim sneered. "Too bad it won't do you any good, you or your pathetic friends."

"Who _are_ you? _What_ are you?" Fatty demanded, still shaken by the speed and ease with which this strangely-armored kid had followed him – strange, _magical_ armor he had seen the boy don in front of his very eyes. He had kept his cool in front of Yugi and Kaiba, but now this boy's presence unnerved him. Master Malik had not given them the means to deal with non-gaming opponents, and this boy moved with the grace and confidence of a seasoned warrior.

"Your enemy – that's all you lowlifes need to know," the boy growled. "Now, where did that helicopter take Kaiba Mokuba-kun?"

"We don't owe you any information, whoever-you-are," Slim rejoined, "and unless you plan to try to force it from us, you're not getting any. Oh, and – check it out!" He motioned to the surface under his feet.

8 8 8 8 8

Touma had already noted it, though he did not understand why – the Ghouls stood in the centers of two adjacent sections of a massive four-paned window set into the roof of the hotel on which they stood, a skylight at the top of a shaft that extended down through the building clear to ground level, hundreds of feet below. The skylight itself was easily forty-plus feet to a side.

He could hear the smirk in Slim's voice. "The game has already begun. We're being watched even now and if anything happens that's not according to plan, there are explosives all along the frame of this skylight that will detonate sections out from under the trouble-maker."

_Oh, gods!_ Touma saw that he was not kidding. The flat main body of the skylight was raised up off the surface of the roof on a frame with four-foot-high canted glass panels, and Touma stared at the framework in shock, able to spot several bundles of wired dynamite here and there beneath the glass even from where he stood beside it.

8 8 8 8 8

Fatty gained confidence from the stricken look on the armored boy's face. "That's right. Now, if you don't mind, as he said the game's already begun – and you're not part of it. Stand aside and we'll just wait for our guests of honor to get here . . . _if_ they show their faces."

"Oh, don't worry. They'll be here," the boy growled.

8 8 8 8 8

The wait was even less than might be expected before the door of the roof-access shed at the top of the stairwell burst open, revealing Kaiba, Urameshi, and the spirit.

Fatty chuckled. "I see you decided to show up, a very wise choice."

The spirit snarled. "Yes. Now, tell us – what is the meaning of this?"

"We've kept up our end of the deal," Kaiba put in, "so why don't you honor yours and release the prisoners?"

Urameshi harrumphed. "One problem with that, rich-boy. You assume these jokers _have_ honor."

Fatty ignored him to address Kaiba. "I'm afraid it isn't that simple. You two will have to Duel us first. If you win, you'll see your loved ones again."

Slim nodded. "Now, take your positions up here on the skylight with us, one of you in the center of each of the other sections. You two – " He pointed at Urameshi and Hashiba. " – will not interfere no matter what, unless you want to be the ones to bring certain misfortune to the prisoners." Kaiba hesitated only a moment before boldly striding forward for a running leap up onto the window, letting the reinforced frame edge take his landing weight before stepping onto the glass itself.

Urameshi shook his head. "Why does this make me think of a really cheap promotional stunt?"

The spirit hesitated as he stepped up next to the frame, focusing on the reflections across the surface of the window to keep under control the shuddering tremor threatening to overtake him at the thought of what lay beneath – or rather, what did not. Hashiba knelt at the foot of the frame, lacing his fingers together into a stirrup shape to give his shorter companion a leg up. The spirit nodded his appreciation, setting a hand on Hashiba's shoulder as he put his heel into the gloved palms. He paused at the feel of the smooth, rigid material under his hand, mystical energy from the sub-Armor tingling up through his palm. Hashiba caught and held his eye for a moment, his voice low. "Be careful, Pharaoh-sama – and Mutou-san, both of you in there. Me and Urameshi are right here. If there's anything we can do . . . "

"Do not interfere in this Duel. Other than that, should anything present itself . . . " The spirit's voice trailed off, not sure what to say.

"Let us know and we'll take care of it for you."

The spirit nodded again, further thankful for their help, then stepped up onto the skylight and took his place by Kaiba's side, very deliberately _not_ looking down. _Focus. Stay focused. Ignore it_. It was more easily said than done, ignoring the chasm he knew to be yawning below his feet. One of the things the spirit had discovered about himself since coming into his own . . .

Great heights terrified him.

8 8 8 8 8

Fatty chuckled. "Now, then – before the fun begins, allow us to properly introduce ourselves. I am Lumis, the Mask of Light." He raised his head so that the bright sunlight revealed him fully. They could now see that he wore a mask along the right side of his face, white with red accents and overemphasized grin.

"And I am Umbra, the Mask of Darkness." Slim, too, looked up to reveal a half-mask covering his face, this one over the left side, black with designs described in red, the corner of the frowning mouth showing two upward-jutting fangs.

"You two again, eh?" Kaiba snorted.

Still upset over the memory, Lumis growled at them, "you defeated us once before but, I assure you, you won't be so lucky in this Duel!"

"Eh, I dunno," Urameshi shrugged with a sardonic chuckle, "you two've been dropped on your asses once already before you even knew what hit you!"

"Kaiba-san – " Hashiba started to warn.

Kaiba favored him with a cold glare. "This is not your fight, Hashiba. Stay out of this."

Umbra, too, gave the bystanding pair a warning look. "Remember, we're being monitored. One false move by either of you two, and one or both of your companions will have to learn to fly real quick."

8 8 8 8 8

"What?" the spirit growled. _Don't do it! _Don't_ look down!_

"Allow me to explain the rules," Lumis interrupted. "This will be a double duel – us against you two. Each Duelist starts out with 4000 Life Points. You must defeat both of the other team's Duelists in order to win. And as for the losers? Well, Umbra wasn't kidding."

Kaiba reacted with a gasp of dismay in spite of himself, as though suddenly hyper-aware of the void beneath his feet.

The spirit felt Yugi gulp as they looked down, spotting the spectators on the floors beneath them, seeing the questions and concern in each one's eyes. It was by sheer willpower alone that the spirit pulled his eyes and his attention back up from the gut-wrenching sight, trembling in spite of himself, sweat thick on his brow. _I _told_ you not to look down!_ he snapped at himself.

"This building is fifty stories tall, and this light shaft goes all the way to the bottom." Lumis then indicated small boxes in each corner of the massive skylight. The spirit studied the one behind him, noting the digits 4-0-0-0 displayed in a window on the surface. "When the counter reaches zero, a signal will be sent to the controls on the nearest bundles of explosives, destroying the surface from beneath your feet."

The spirit braced against the thought of the lethal fall that awaited any one of the losers. _Oh, gods_, he quavered, swallowing hard. _No, stop it! This is the only way. Brace. You _know_ the drill. Hold your heart strong!_

-_It'll be all right, Nakama. I'm here. We'll get through this together_.- Yugi washed warm comfort and steadying strength up the link from where he stood at the door of his soul room, mentally gathering himself for the task.

8 8 8 8 8

Urameshi gasped in horror. "_Holy crap!_ Pharaoh, Kaiba, get down from there!"

Kaiba shook his head. "We've already accepted. A True Duelist never backs down from a challenge, no matter how dangerous – and this is the only way to rescue Mokuba and the others." The spirit nodded in grim agreement.

"Gah! You two are nuts," Urameshi groaned.

Touma shook his head. "No, Urameshi. They don't have a choice, especially not now that they're both standing in position. If they try to leave now, they won't make it off the skylight before it's detonated. They _have_ to carry this through." With his sub-Armor, Touma knew that he probably could be swift enough to snatch them both, but he suspected that honor would keep either one of them from allowing him to try – not to mention the consequences to their loved ones.

"_Bastards_," Urameshi snarled at the two Hunters.

8 8 8 8 8

"And according to Battle City rules – _your_ rules," Lumis smirked at Kaiba, continuing as if never interrupted, "when we win, we take your Egyptian God Cards!"

"Do I have your guarantee that my brother is all right?" Kaiba demanded.

"For now – but don't count on ever seeing him again," Umbra taunted. "There are no visitors in the Underworld, which is where you'll be after a little detour downward when you lose!" He tapped a toe against the surface, the glass making a _tink-tink_-ing noise that set the spirit's nerves further on edge.

"Don't worry, Kaiba. You could say I got friends in some of the right places," Urameshi laughed darkly. "I happen to know that Koenma, prince of the Underworld – the Spirit Realm – doesn't take kindly to the sort of shit these guys are pulling."

The spirit studied him for a long moment, remembering again his wish to speak to Urameshi about that. Now was not the time, of course, but the spirit resolved to talk to him soon. He saw Urameshi gazing back at him, then give him a nod. He nodded as well, thankful, then they both returned their attention to the opponents.

8 8 8 8 8

Kaiba wondered what Urameshi meant, but that was of no consequence for the moment. He glowered at his enemies. "You've made your second – and final – mistake. Your first was kidnapping my little brother. Your last was challenging me to a Duel." Kaiba activated his Duel Disk.

8 8 8 8 8

"Enough talk. Let us begin this!" Clamping down on his acrophobia for good, the spirit followed suit, his device powering up as the opponents mirrored the motions. Once again, four sets of projectors defined the official Dueling field.

"And soon enough, end," Umbra countered. "Malik-sama prepared our decks himself, specifically assembled to take down your Egyptian God Cards – and that's just what we'll do."

"DUEL START!"

* * *

Author's Note: Please be sure to check my bio page for any updates, etc. Thanks!


	24. Chapter 24 Dual Duel

The so-called Mask Brothers are not really brothers, at least not according to the original Japanese. Also, their names (Lumis and Umbra) are ones that were given them in the dub. They are only known in the original as the Mask of Light and the Mask of Darkness . . . but I already have one character who's "name" is just a noun in calling Yami only "the spirit" for now, so I decided to go with dub-over-original names for these two. ((grin))

Disclaimer – Yu Yu Hakusho, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and Ronin Warriors (a.k.a. Yoroiden: Samurai Troopers) and all related characters, events, and concepts belong to their respective owners. I get no monetary benefit from this. My benefit is the enjoyment of dealing with beloved characters. If you recognize him/her/it, I don't own him/her/it. If you don't recognize, I might still not be the owner but it'd be best to ask. I'd appreciate it, anyway. ((grin))

"The Spellfire Saga – 1: Shards"  
by DragonDancer5150

Chapter 24 – Dual Duel

"You two _do_ know how the turns run in a tag team match, right?" Lumis taunted as the Duelists each drew his starting five hand cards apiece. "I guarantee this Duel will last longer than that trial run down in the alley."

The spirit thought back to Duelist Kingdom, when he and Jonouchi had partnered to face the Labyrinth Brothers, Mei and Kyuu. "I have fought a double Duel before, yes. As we did in the alley, each Duelist takes an action, the turns alternating between team members as well as back and forth between teams. Team members take separate actions, but must work together strategically in order to win." It was quite deliberate that he did not look at Kaiba and could only hope his teammate would take heed.

"Not nearly so simple as it sounds," Lumis smirked as he drew a card. "I'll go first. I play two cards facedown and end my turn." Both cards went into spell/trap slots on his Duel Disk. "Your move, Yugi."

"Draw." The spirit did, setting the new card on his Disk. "I summon Beta the Magnet Warrior – Defense Mode." He glared across the field at his opponents as his Monster took form in front of him, faint wisps of Shadow power playing about him from deep within the Puzzle in response to his call upon the Heart of the Cards. _No one can attack until each Duelist has drawn at least once. Hopefully by then, I can pick up on their strategy_.

"My turn. Draw." Umbra drew and played. "I summon Shining Abyss in Attack Mode." The four-star mechanical Monster appeared, a bulbous body topped by a vaguely humanoid torso with arms, faceless head, and metal-feathered wings, a stat screen reading 1600/1800.

Lumis laughed. "And now we show you how a tag-team Duel is played to win!"

The spirit gasped. "You have a strategy already?"

"That's right, Yugi! Activate Mask of Brutality!" One of Lumis's cards stood up, revealing a spell card with a fearsome wooden tribal mask depicted on its face.

The card image and its 3D form glowed, becoming a shaft of light that streamed up and arced sideways, relocating the hologram onto the Monster in front of Umbra. "Why, thank you, Lumis. Your mask is a perfect fit for my Monster!"

"Not to mention the fact that it will boost your Monster's Attack power by a thousand," Lumis snickered.

"What!" Kaiba gasped as Shining Abyss's stat screen counted up the points. "You already have a Monster on the field with 2600 Attack points!"

Lumis gloated over Kaiba's shock. "That's right, though it requires that we pay 1000 LP for each turn we maintain Mask of Brutality on the field."

"Hah! Not when I play this!" Umbra set a card in his Duel Disk. "The magic card Masked Doll!" The spirit recognized the spell and little doubted that Umbra was enjoying his scowl of concern. "It will absorb any and all negative effects caused by my magic cards."

"Heh, that includes cards of mine that affect anything on his side of the field. Get ready, you two, because our tag-team strategy will destroy you!"

"Never! We can work as a team and play off the strengths of each others' Decks as well as you can, Rare Hunters!" The spirit had no question that Kaiba knew the cards in his Deck as well as he knew Kaiba's, and both were Duelists of exceptional power and strategic skill. The only trick would be –

Kaiba harrumphed. "No thanks." He glared sidelong as the spirit turned to him in dismay. "Teamwork is for Boy Scouts and nursery schools, Yugi."

"Kaiba . . . "

8 8 8 8 8

"Let's get one thing straight. I can win this Duel and save my brother without your help – and that's exactly what I intend to do. I did not become Number One Duelist by relying on others. I will not owe anyone anything, and I do not need anyone's help." Yugi's eyes had turned unreadable as he gazed back, but Kaiba did not need to know what his so-called partner was thinking. Returning his attention to the only ones in this Duel that mattered right now, Kaiba drew for his turn. "Now, I place two cards facedown." They went into spell/trap slots. "And I summon my mighty Vorse Raider." The Level 4 Beast-Warrior emerged from his card, almost demonic in appearance with a wicked, two-handed axe in his grip, his stat screen displaying 1900/1200. "And, by the way, he's in Attack Mode."

8 8 8 8 8

The spirit scowled at his Dueling partner. He understood that Kaiba was goading the Hunters to attack, even though his Monster was weaker than theirs. _One of his facedowns must be a trap card_. Still, he wished he knew more of Kaiba's plans. Now he would have to figure out Kaiba's strategy as well as that of the Hunters, or they had no chance of winning.

He saw Kaiba smirk at the cards in his hand. _Saggi, you have never let me down, and with the right cards in play . . ._ "Well, well. So now we've each had one turn. Time to see who's strategy is superior."

As a side effect of the Shadow tendrils dancing unseen about his slim frame, the spirit was able to pick up some of the surface thoughts of those around him, ally and foe alike, as he often found himself able to do when a full-fledged Shadow Game was in play. He could only guess he did not with the Silent Puppet because the true mind controlling him was not within the spirit's range. Now, he knew that Kaiba held Saggi the Dark Clown and could guess what Kaiba had in mind, if only he could draw the companion card.

"Yes, let's," Lumis chuckled. "Yours is obvious. You plan to sacrifice Vorse Raider for something more powerful, but when you do, I'm afraid you'll be in for a little surprise. Remember, our Decks were specially built to face you, Kaiba!"

_This is bad_, the spirit thought. _I've no doubt they know our Dueling habits. Unless Kaiba agrees to work together and Duel as a team, we're doomed. If he keeps up this arrogant attitude, we'll both be killed – not to mention what will happen to my friends and his brother! We have to win!_

8 8 8 8 8

Urameshi and Hashiba, watching from the sidelines, were of the same mindset. "Kaiba, don't be a fool!" Touma called. "You're good, but you're not untouchable. No one is completely undefeatable, especially not alone!" He nearly choked as Kaiba turned laser-blue eyes on him in a glare that threatened to burn a hole through his skull.

"I'm warning both of you right now, and I will say this only once: if any interference from either one of you brings harm to my brother, you will share the fate of the Rare Hunters' demise. I will kill you both myself if I have to in order to avenge him."

"_What was that?_" Urameshi snarled. "That's it! Get your sorry ass down – "

"_Kaiba!_ That was uncalled for! Urameshi – " The spirit stopped as Touma tackled his companion before the other could gain the top of the skylight.

"Urameshi, cool it! I don't like it, either, but Kaiba-san's got a point." Dropping his voice so that only Urameshi could hear him, he added, " 'Sides, I've already told Ryo and the others. Seiji's group is in the bay area, which is where it looked like that helicopter went. Jou-kun and the others are probably being held wherever they took Mokuba. All they hafta do is keep their senses open for those energy signatures. No doubt there will be plenty with Malik arriving in town." He let go as Urameshi relented with a growl.

8 8 8 8 8

In the meantime, it was Lumis's turn. "I draw." A nasty grin spread across his face. "And look at this – my Mask of the Accursed magic card." His grin widened at the deep alarm on the spirit's face. "And I choose to equip it to your Monster, Yugi, and render him useless. So, come on – try it on for size, Magnet Warrior!"

The spirit scowled as the huge mask materialized on the face of his Beta. He had not heard of the card, but instinct told him that it was going to be trouble.

"It's a perfect fit," Lumis declared with a laugh. "As long as this mask stays on, your Monster can't attack. And that's not all – until the mask comes off, you will lose 500 LP for every one of your turns. I'll also place one card facedown. Now, it's back to your side." A card appeared in magic/trap position to take the place of the Mask of Brutality he had played on his teammate.

_I'll bet it's a trap. Lumis has not played a Monster yet_, the spirit snorted as he studied his opponents before drawing. _Wait! I think I've got their strategy. Umbra must hold their arsenal of Monster cards, while Lumis's deck is full of magic and traps_.

"What are you waiting for?" Lumis demanded. "You can't save your Life Points by skipping turns, so you might as well draw."

The spirit grimaced as the display on his Duel Disk dropped from 4000 to 3500. "My turn – draw." He did so, glad to see the Level 6 demon he now held. _Perfect! Gilford Demon. But . . ._ A warning itched at the back of his mind, something Lumis had said to Kaiba.

Kaiba gazed sideways at Yugi. _He drew something good, maybe a Monster. I know he's got better Monsters than that Magnet Warrior. If it were me, I'd sacrifice Beta for something higher-level. That would also destroy that Mask of the Accursed, and Yugi won't lose any more Life Points from its effect_.

The spirit "heard" Kaiba's opinion but did not agree. _I have a bad feeling about this_, the spirit groaned, _but what choice do I have?_ "I sacrifice Beta the Magnet Warrior in order to summon – "

"Ha! Not so fast, Yugi! Behold! You've just triggered my trap card – the Mask of Restrict." Lumis waved his hand over one of his facedowns, which stood to reveal yet another grotesque tribal mask. The five-foot monstrosity manifested in front of him. "With this on the field, you two can't win! That's because as long as my trap is in play, it prevents my opponents from sacrificing Monsters, and without sacrifices you two can't summon anything higher than Level 4 Monsters, making it that much easier to defeat you!" All Kaiba and the spirit could do was glare back in dismay, and Umbra joined his companion's derisive laughter.

Kaiba snarled silently. _Without sacrifices, our Egyptian God Cards are useless! I can't even summon a Blue-Eyes!_

-_Oh, no!-_ Yugi groaned from within their heart. -_We can't win this with weak Monsters!-_

The spirit could only nod in agreement. -_There has to be a way to win. We must turn this Duel around – and fast!-_

_Courage, little Shadow mage. Your power will win the day – and I will not let you fall._

The spirit froze in alarm. Those were not his thoughts, nor those of his opponents or companions. What was more, he sensed that they came from very close, as close as his clothing – or his cards. For all of his belief in a very real power in the Monsters and spells therein . . . they had never spoken to him directly.

And they were in a heavily-accented – and female – voice.

-_N-nakama . . . ?_- Yugi wavered. Even in his soul room, he had heard as well.

The spirit shook his head. Perhaps he had reached a new plateau in his capabilities somewhere between this Duel and the last. Perhaps the new dragon now in the Deck case on his hip was not male as he had assumed. Now, however, was not the time to explore this. If those thoughts had come from his Deck, he would ride them to victory. If not . . .

"I summon Kuriboh in Defense Mode and place one card facedown." With that, the spirit turned to Kaiba. They had no choice, not with that Mask of Restrict on the field. He _had_ to get Kaiba to open his eyes! "Kaiba, there is only one way to win this! You know it."

"I don't need you to tell me how to duel, Yugi! I've heard enough of your friendship and cooperation speeches. Friendship is for the weak. I don't need it."

"Yes, Kaiba . . . you do," the spirit muttered in frustration. It was not just this Duel, either. He wished he could make Kaiba see what he saw. It was not that Kaiba was weak, but he could be so much more. One could only get so far alone, could only be so much. Kaiba isolated himself, the wounds of his heart from his past never allowed to heal. The spirit felt a connection to Kaiba he could not explain, far more than their inveterate rivalry in Duel Monsters, and he longed to help Kaiba to heal – but he could do nothing so long as Kaiba continued to shove him away.

"Heh, if you two are done arguing like a married couple," Umbra sneered, "it's my draw."

The spirit watched Umbra consider his options. He could attack Beta and destroy it easily, but then the spirit would no longer lose the 500 LP per turn – a bonus for the spirit, but Umbra would be a fool to take away that advantage to himself. Umbra's eyes shifted to Kaiba's Vorse Raider, whom he could also destroy but who stood before two facedown cards, either one of which would be trouble to trigger carelessly. Then, the spirit noted something odd. Lumis's mouth moved, as though he were talking to himself under his breath, but then Umbra gave an almost imperceptible nod, seemingly reassured. _Those masks they're wearing aren't just for looks. They must have communicators hidden within!_

"First off, I'll set one card facedown. And now, my Shining Abyss, attack Kaiba's Vorse Raider!"

"Hold on, fool. You've activated my Ring of Destruction." One of Kaiba's facedowns stood up, and a segmented iron ring appeared around Shining Abyss's throat like a collar, a large green grenade attached to each section. He smirked as Shining Abyss grasped the collar, struggling to get it off. "Both of us will take his full Attack points as Direct Damage to our Life Points, but at least you will be out one Monster."

"Sorry to disappoint you," Lumis countered, "but my card cancels your trap."

"What?" Kaiba gasped.

"Wouldn't that be a good thing?" the spirit heard Urameshi mutter, arms folded. "There's gotta be a better way to get rid of that ugly Weeble-Wobble without taking 2600 points."

"Activate Curse Transfer!" Lumis declared. "My counter-trap card is triggered by your trap. It automatically switches your card's effect back to your own Monster. Now Ring of Destruction attaches to Vorse Raider!" The Ring glowed, becoming a beam of light to shoot from Monster to Monster. Now it was Vorse Raider with his hands to his throat in a vain attempt to remove the auto-kill device.

_Kaiba would not have played such a crippling card without knowing he could negate the effects to himself_, the spirit figured. _But I'd be surprised if Lumis and Umbra don't have something up their combined sleeves as well – and with the ability to communicate their plans such that we can't even hear them . . . !_ "Kaiba, beware their combined power! They're communicating strategies you're not even aware of!"

8 8 8 8 8

"Zip it, Yugi! Don't think I'm not prepared to negate my own trap card!" He would still be out a Monster, and would only deal Vorse Raider's 1900 points to his opponent rather than the intended 2600, but either way he himself would not be taking any damage. As the Ring of Destruction's grenades detonated, he activated his other facedown card. Another steel ring, sporting four shields, spun vertically before him, blocking the blast of Vorse Raider's passing. "I've activated my magic card, Ring of Defense, which protects my Life Points from any damage. Nice try."

Surprisingly, Umbra was grinning . . . and his counter had yet to register the loss of Life Points. "Why, thank you! I'm afraid your Ring of Defense isn't protecting _you_, Kaiba!"

"Why not?" Kaiba snarled, even as his mind raced through several cards that came to mind, any one of which might be in either Umbra's or Lumis's hands.

"Because I activate this: Spell Transfer! It transfers your Ring of Defense to me, which means my Life Points will remain untouched, and it's yours that are cut nearly in half!"

Kaiba glared down at his Duel Disk, sick at the sight of the rapid drop in points from 4000 to 2100.

"_Kaiba_ . . . " he heard Yugi snarl, his tone warning that they could not afford any more mistakes born of his arrogance.

"At this rate, you won't be seeing your little brother ever again," Lumis taunted.

"But in a moment, that won't matter to you anyway," Umbra added, "because you'll be dead! It's still my turn, and Shining Abyss wipes out the rest of your Life Points. Say hello to oblivion!"

Kaiba braced, his face a mask of horror as he realized what was about to happen . . . and that there was nothing at all he could do to stop it!

* * *

Author's Note: Please be sure to check my bio page for any updates, etc. Thanks!


	25. Chapter 25 Strategies

Disclaimer – Yu Yu Hakusho, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and Ronin Warriors (a.k.a. Yoroiden: Samurai Troopers) and all related characters, events, and concepts belong to their respective owners. I get no monetary benefit from this. My benefit is the enjoyment of dealing with beloved characters. If you recognize him/her/it, I don't own him/her/it. If you don't recognize, I might still not be the owner but it'd be best to ask. I'd appreciate it, anyway. ((grin))

"The Spellfire Saga – 1: Shards"  
by DragonDancer5150

Chapter 25 – Strategies

Kaiba had not even the presence of mind left in that moment to brace, staring in frozen shock and horror at the blast barreling down on him.

There was nothing he could do, but he was not as alone as he insisted. Both Umbra and Kaiba stared in shock as a wall of hundreds of Kuribohs appeared suddenly, protecting Kaiba from Shining Abyss's energy blast. "Kuuurriiiiiii!" the creatures echoed as most of their numbers shattered under the onslaught . . . only to be replaced by dozens more.

"W-what happened?" Lumis wanted to know.

"Hmph. Pharaoh-sama, that's what." Hashiba stood with his arms crossed, grinning.

"_Yugi?_" Kaiba gaped, disbelieving that his rival would have helped him. "You saved my Life Points."

His partner smirked at their opponents. "Your attack has been blocked, thanks to my magic card, Multiply! It reproduced my Monster a hundred times over and then some. We have a wall of Kuribohs that will continue to multiply. There is no way you can punch through their defense. My teammate's Life Points are safe."

"Only for so long as your cards are on the field," Umbra snipped, annoyed that his attack had been shunted.

Kaiba's free hand closed in a tight fist. He did not owe anyone anything. He _would_ not, especially not his greatest rival! "Yugi, I realize that you protected my Life Points this time . . . but next time I'll _do it myself!_" he snarled, whirling to glare at his teammate.

8 8 8 8 8

The spirit kept his eyes trained ahead on the true enemy as he replied in a low voice, "Kaiba, if you ever expect to see Mokuba again, we need to _help each other!_ Remember, the minute one of us falls, this Duel is over! The other will _not_ be able to stand alone against their unified, tag-team assault."

"Are you questioning my skills as a Duelist, Yugi?"

The spirit continued to keep focused ahead if only so he did not lose his temper, already clamped down on it as hard as he could manage. This was not the time to lose control and forget the true enemy, even for a moment – and right now, that would be so easy to do. "Your skills are unquestionable, Kaiba, but this is a Duel you_ cannot – win – alone_!" He bit off each word in frustrated emphasis. "We must combine our forces in order to defeat these Rare Hunters. I protected you and, if you do not do the same for me, I may not be around the next time."

_Good riddance!_ Kaiba growled silently.

The spirit heard Kaiba and his scowl deepened, but there simply were no words that would do the trick. Kaiba would have to decide on his own to cooperate . . . or learn too late the fatal error of his ways.

The spirit shot a glare at his non-Duelist friends before either could comment aloud with the clipped snarls prowling across both their minds, then deliberately turned his own mind from the whispered plotting that drifted between his adversaries alongside the real murmurs passed via mumble-mikes. There was no honor in learning an opponent's strategy outside of the Duel itself – just as when he had stopped Jonouchi from telling him the first Rare Hunter's strategy before the Duel had begun. To play by any dishonorable means was to betray the Heart of the Cards, to turn his back on the Shadows themselves, and that the spirit would not do. He refocused himself, bolstered by the bright core of unwavering faith and determination that was Yugi within him. They would win this. He did not know how, but they would.

For Jonouchi, Mokuba, and the others' sakes, they _had_ to.

The spirit glanced sidelong at Kaiba, resolutely not listening as his rival/partner drew for his turn. Kaiba had told him in no uncertain terms that he would not cooperate, would not share his strategies and, in order to maintain his own integrity in this Duel, the spirit had to honor that. However, one did not need to listen to the drifting telepathic Shadows to read the joy-turned-frustration in Kaiba's eyes. Kaiba had drawn something powerful, probably one of his Blue-Eyes, but without the ability to sacrifice, the Monster was all but useless in his hand. _We can do this, Kaiba! We can _do_ this! But we have to Duel as a _team_!_ The spirit was almost glad that he had no ability to communicate outwardly except with Yugi, or else he would be pounding that into Kaiba and with a fervor that would probably drive him away for good. If only he could get Kaiba to _see!_

"First, I'll play one card facedown, then I summon Battle Ox in Defense Mode." The massive, Level-Four minotaur followed the magic card in appearance, crouching with arms crossed behind the thin cloud of floating Kuribohs, stat screen flashing 1700/1000. Kaiba growled, "End turn."

"Do you expect to win by hiding behind weak Monsters?" Umbra taunted. "Heh, Shining Abyss alone is enough to take down that overgrown cow, knock out your wall of feeble furballs, _and_ send you both on a one-way trip to Hell!"

"But don't think you two are getting off _that_ easy," Lumis smirked as he drew for his turn. "Face it – your Life Points are beyond vulnerable. Looks like you'll never see your friends again! But first, about that wall of oversized dustcatchers – I play another magic card, the Mask of Dispel."

The spirit gasped with horror. _That_ Mask he had heard of! He watched in dismay as the magic card standing before him wavered in a cloud of sudden, purple smoke, the artwork on the front changing from that of Multiply to reflect the ugly mask on the card across the field.

"This covers your magic card and conceals its effect, reducing your hairball army back down to one weak little beast!" Even as Lumis spoke, the multiples vanished in a chorus of cries, leaving a single Kuriboh perched on his Defense-positioned card in front of his summoner, blinking and braced with dread.

The spirit stood braced as well, a silent snarl vibrating through him as the so-called Mask of Light went on to explain the second half of what he already knew – that this card, like Mask of the Accursed on his Beta, would rob him of 500 LP at every turn. Then, Lumis finally summoned his first Monster, Grand Tiki Elder, and wiped Kuriboh off the field. This Duel was not going well at _all_!

-_We'll lose 1000 Life Points a turn!_- Yugi cried in horror. -_We have to _do_ something!_-

The spirit could only shake his head. At the moment, there was nothing they _could_ do. Nothing.

"So, now what are you going to do, Yugi?" Lumis taunted relentlessly as the counter on the spirit's Duel Disk dropped from 3500 to 2500, "besides start flapping your arms?"

"Ha! There's nothing he can do. He's finished!" Umbra laughed, his tone cruel as he echoed the spirit's thoughts.

"We'll see," the spirit snarled, defiant to the last. "My turn. Draw!" _Chain Destruction. That allows me to destroy one card in my opponent's hand . . . but that's not enough to help us_. He looked down on four cards already in his other hand as he slipped the new card among them – Gilford Demon, Berfomet, Shift, and . . . _But this one might. Card Destruction. It forces all Duelists to abandon their current hand and draw an entirely new one. That might just do the trick! But . . ._ The spirit glanced at Kaiba and the cards in his hand, still blocking the whispering Shadows drifting at him from his left. _But Kaiba might have a strategy already set in his hand cards. If I forced him to abandon them - ! But what choice do I have? Kaiba refuses to Duel as a team. If he will not rely on me, I don't know that I _can_ rely on him, as much as I know I need to . . . want to . ._ .

-_Nakama . . ._ - Yugi's voice floated up their link from his soul room, heavy with concern from the frustration and uncertainty roiling in his friend.

_Don't give up. Never give up! Never!_

The silent, obstinate support streaming to them across the Shadows from Urameshi and Hashiba was comfort indeed, just as much so as if the bolstering energies came from Jonouchi, Honda, or Anzu . . . but the spirit was afraid it would not be enough. He shook his head, eyes closing against the torment of self-doubt. _We have to make a move . . . but I could cost us the Duel! Kaiba – _

"Feh, what a waste," Kaiba chuckled. The spirit's eyes snapped up in shock to meet his, just as Urameshi drew the breath for an insult and Hashiba grabbed him, biting back his own snarl. Kaiba focused on his partner/rival for just an instant before turning that laser-blue gaze on the two cards in his hand. "Like me, you must only be holding high-level Monsters, Yugi. You can't summon anything. It's such a pain holding all these useless high-level Monsters. We might as well abandon them to the Graveyard."

The spirit openly stared at him for just a moment, agape. _Ancient gods . . . is Kaiba saying what I think he's saying?_

-_It sounds like he _wants_ to discard his hand!_- Yugi realized in equal shock.

The spirit hesitated, wanting to be sure, and finally nodded. _I understand, Kaiba_. " I set one card facedown and end my turn." He slipped Card Destruction into a spell/trap slot, watching its virtual twin materialize next to the masked Multiply card.

"Looks like you couldn't summon anything this time. Too bad." Umbra drew, smirking at him and his disturbing lack of defenses – a masked Monster, a masked spell card, and only one other set card. "Well, now – let me see what I can do about speeding up the inevitable. I play the Ritual magic card, Curse of the Masked Beast." He looked as though he very much enjoyed the twin gasps of stricken reaction on his opponent's faces as he slid the card into place.

_Don't _make_ me come out there . ._ .

The spirit shifted uncomfortably with the growled threat to his opponents from somewhere so close to him. Queen's Knight? Perhaps. She and Dark Magician Girl were the only decidedly female Monsters in their Deck, and the tone just did not seem to fit the lighthearted novice spellcaster. Beside, something told him that both were buried deep in the Deck and would not likely be coming out any time soon. Well, whomever or whatever the entity was, she was on his side – for now.

"Yes! I sacrifice both mine and Lumis's Monsters to Ritual summon the almighty power of the Masked Beast." A vaguely centauroid _thing_ took shape, towering over the field, its stat screen reading an impressive 3200 unaugmented points. "My Monster has the ability to bypass Defense Monsters and attack Life Points directly – and I choose you, Mutou Yugi! Go, Masked Beast!"

"Pharaoh-sama, no!" "Dammit! Pharaoh, Mutou!" The shouts from off-field were desperate and deafening.

The spirit stared in horror at the monstrosity bearing down on him, then closed his eyes, braced for the inevitable. There was nothing he could do to stop this. -_Aibou, forgive me –_ -

Shadows thickened around the spirit, preparing.

"Battle Ox, defend!"

Shadows retreated, satisfied.

The unexpected command jolted through the spirit, snapping his eyes open for sight to confirm or disprove the improbable audio. Sight was indeed confirmed, the view of the massive minotaur barreling across the skylight at him nearly eliciting a yelp of surprise as the spirit backpedaled a step before he could catch himself. He raised an arm over his face as Battle Ox threw itself into the path of Masked Beast's staff to take the hit, shattering in a shower of sparks.

"What? K-kaiba?" Umbra stammered, as shocked as his intended prey. "You intercepted my attack!"

Kaiba merely smirked. "You sound surprised. You really shouldn't be. This is a _double_ Duel, after all, and my teammate was in danger, so I simply used my Defense Monster to defend his Life Points against your ugly beast."

"I thought they weren't working as a team, Lumis!"

The spirit turned, ecstatic, the glad light in his eyes surely matching that usually found in his _hikari_. "Thank you! Kaiba – "

Kaiba favored him with a sidelong glare, his arms folded across his chest. "Don't misunderstand. It's only to return the favor of Kuriboh."

"Fool!" Lumis snarled, no doubt knowing as the spirit did that Kaiba was too smart to make any move without calculating it to death. "You've just lost yourself your only Defense Monster, leaving _you_ wide open for attack!"

Kaiba's eyes narrowed. _Not if Yugi returns the favor_. He turned that laser gaze on his partner.

The tendril of telepathic Shadow shot arrow-straight across the short distance between Duelists, and the spirit nodded. That was strategy, shared strategy, and the spirit did not try to block it. He was _meant_ to hear that time. He nodded, turning to face the opponents. He had set the spell card like a trap, so he could spring it out of turn by the same rules. "Reveal facedown card, Card Destruction!" This time it was he and Kaiba who enjoyed the stricken shock on enemy faces, as Lumis and Umbra realized that they had to discard their entire hands – and any waiting-and-ready strategies they had.

The smirk under laser eyes was back. "That's right. Every one of us sends our current hand to the Graveyard and draws anew." Unfazed, Kaiba pulled two cards from the top of his Deck.

"So, did your partner force you to give up any cards you needed?" Lumis sulked as he, Umbra, and the spirit all followed suit.

"Actually, what just happened is quite the opposite, Rare Hunter. Without the ability to sacrifice, I was not able to summon the Monster in my hand – but now I can."

"AAHHHH!"

8 8 8 8 8

Urameshi snickered at the opponents' cries, even as he turned to his companion in mild confusion. "Any idea what he means by that?"

Touma's own eyes narrowed in thought. He had watched Shu and Shin duel enough times that he could think of one or two possibilities. He allowed a dark grin in his companions' favor as Kaiba's next words proved one of his considerations right.

8 8 8 8 8

"Reveal set magic card, Monster Reborn! Now I can call back the powerful Monster I just sent to the Graveyard, my Blue-Eyes White Dragon!" Shining white scales burst into existence as the magic card transformed into the appropriate Monster card, its depicted beast rising with a triumphant roar. "Behold! This is the price you pay for using my little brother to get to me!"

"NO!" "C-can't be!" their opponents stammered in shock.

His smile as bright as his renewed hope, the spirit laughed. "Yes, it can!" _Finally! Finally! Kaiba is learning the _power_ of cooperation!_ But his face fell at the thoughts he picked up from his teammate.

_I figured Yugi must have drawn Card Destruction from the way he was eyeing my hand cards with such uncertainty. And he had to have known that I held at least one Blue-Eyes in my hand. He saved his play until he knew I could get my Blue-Eyes on the field with it. It's just as I expected. So you think I'm going to work with you now, right? Well, at least it worked out well. I don't owe you now, and I won't help you again._

-_Gods, Kaiba, will you never learn?_- Yugi grieved from within.

The spirit thought back to Hashiba's comment about convincing himself of one thing when his unguarded thoughts might tend to point elsewhere – and the look of shock, even of exposure, in laser eyes upon hearing the words. He suppressed a very small grin. -_Patience, Aibou. We may break through to him yet. If anyone can, it will be you_.-

8 8 8 8 8

"You may have summoned your prized lizard, but he's still no match for our Monster. Masked Beast has fully 200 more attack points than even your beloved Blue-Eyes! Attack, and it will be your dragon who falls! You cannot destroy our Masked Beast!"

Kaiba gritted his teeth, frustrated beyond measure at the truth in their words – only to nearly bite his tongue as he jumped in shock at the calm confidence in words that floated across to him from his right – "Yes, you can, Kaiba." "I can?" he startled before he could catch the inane question.

"If we are going to win, you will have to trust me on this one. Attack them with your Blue-Eyes White Dragon, and I promise that I will back you up." True integrity belied his partner's challenging smirk. "Show me your courage, Kaiba!"

"I know you wouldn't give me bad advice, Yugi, because you'd lose, too. Still . . . I never thought I'd have to listen to _you_." He turned the growl of annoyance into a full-blown roar as he called the command. "Blue-Eyes White Dragon, attack their Masked Beast – _Destruction Burst Stream!_" All four combatants, as well as both backpedaling non-Duelists, stared in a mixture of shock and awe as the mighty wyrm reared up on his hind legs, hot white energy gathering in his gaping maw. _This had better work, Yugi!_

8 8 8 8 8

_It will, just as I promised_, the spirit swore.

Silent in his soul room, Yugi nodded, knowing what his partner had done, understanding that the plan could not have been spoken aloud for fear of one of the opponents slapping down a responding magic card at the last second.

The great dragon let loose with his ball of lightning, crackling power slamming the Masked Beast squarely in the chest. The enemy Monster shrieked in rage and pain before succumbing to death in an explosion of holographic sparks.

Kaiba stood blinking, shocked thoughts carrying easily across the Shadows. _Curse of the gods-forsaken Fates . . . it _did_ work!_

"Impossible!" Lumis shrieked. "Our Monster was stronger than yours!"

"You cheated! Somehow you cheated! It's the only explanation!"

"Wrong!" the spirit smirked, his laugh rudely derisive. "Your creature was beaten by Kaiba's Blue-Eyes fair and square! When I played Card Destruction, one of the cards I sent to _my_ Graveyard from my hand was the Gilford Demon . . . and I activated its special ability when I did so. It reduces the attack points of any Monster I choose by 500 – in this case, your Masked Beast! And now, with no Monsters on the field, the Blue-Eyes will find you two easy prey, I'm afraid."

Kaiba stood gazing over his shoulder at his long-time-rival-turned-ally – however temporarily! – contemplation and respect in his eyes. _Impressive. Yugi had that set up from the start. He truly is a strategic Duelist_.

The spirit turned to meet his gaze, yet again "hearing" Kaiba's thoughts. "The power of cooperation, Kaiba – we did that together."

Kaiba turned away with a half-hearted snarl. _Cooperation? Meaning I have to follow your orders?_

The spirit shifted his attention back to their opponents with a silent moan of exasperation. _Kaiba, for the love of - ! Gah!_ Making himself pull a deep breath, the spirit rolled the tension from his shoulders, letting go.

A snicker of amusement echoed along the link between _yami_ and _hikari_. -_Patience. Remember, Nakama?_-

-_Don't start, Aibou_.- The admonishment carried with it a weary chuckle.

* * *

Author's Note: Please be sure to check my bio page for any updates, etc. Thanks!

_**Hikari**_ – "Light." The yami/hikari terminology is often applied both Yami/Yugi and Ryou/Dark Bakura. The use of this term is strictly a fandom creation, so there are some fans who frown on its use. It is not canon but, then again, neither is calling the Puzzle-spirit Yami, which means "darkness." I happen to like the idea of the "hikaris" Yugi and Ryou balancing their spirits' darkness, especially between Yugi and Yami – Yami would _not_ be who and what he is today without the saving grace that is Yugi – so I've made the choice just for myself to use the terminology as part of my personal fanon.


	26. Chapter 26 Cooperate!

Disclaimer – Yu Yu Hakusho, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and Ronin Warriors (a.k.a. Yoroiden: Samurai Troopers) and all related characters, events, and concepts belong to their respective owners. I get no monetary benefit from this. My benefit is the enjoyment of dealing with beloved characters. If you recognize him/her/it, I don't own him/her/it. If you don't recognize, I might still not be the owner but it'd be best to ask. I'd appreciate it, anyway. ((grin))

"The Spellfire Saga – 1: Shards"  
by DragonDancer5150

Chapter 26 – Cooperate!

"Go on, Lumis," Kaiba goaded. "Make your pathetic move! Now that my Blue-Eyes is on the field, there's no hope for either of you, but you can at least go down honorably, fighting rather than cowering."

Lumis snarled. "We'll see about that! I set one Monster in facedown Defense Mode, plus two more cards." Three holograms shimmered into existence, two in the magic/trap positions. "End turn." _Once my trap cards are activated, Kaiba's Blue-Eyes will be destroyed!_

The spirit managed to tune out Lumis's hungry, anticipating energy before he could wrongfully learn what was not yet his to know. Still, he could not help but wonder. _What are you up to, Lumis?_

He met Lumis's leer head-on as the other pointed, laughing. "Back to you, Yugi. Oh! And in case you forgot, say goodbye to another 1000 of your Life Points, thanks to my Mask of the Accursed and Mask of Dispel!"

_I had not forgotten_, the spirit thought, his scowl dark as he watched his counter drop to an alarming 1500.

"Damn!" Hashiba swore, eyeing the counter on the box behind the spirit. "Pharaoh-sama, those ugly masks are nothing more special than normal spell cards, aren't they? Don't you have, like, a simple De-Spell or something?"

_Not in my hand, no, Hashiba . ._ .

-_He has a point. I'm afraid we don't have enough magic and trap removal cards in our Deck. You were right, Nakama – should have kept Heavy Storm . . ._ -

The spirit soothed back his partner's distress with forgiveness. -_It's all right, Aibou. What's done is done. We work with what we have and trust the Heart of the Cards to see us through._- Yugi nodded, and the spirit returned his attention outward to draw for his turn. _I will have to take the chance and attack Lumis's Defense Monster. I may destroy it, or I may force him to expend one of his trap cards. Either one will be a step forward. Chh, certainly couldn't be a step back from where we are. The worst is that we lose Kaiba's Blue-Eyes, but I already know that's the plan, so_ . . . "I place one card facedown and summon Alpha the Magnet Warrior." The Level-Four Monster arose, stat screen showing 1400/1700. "Alpha, attack Lumis's Defense Monster!"

The spirit did not need Shadow tendrils to read the thoughts darting across Lumis's sweating face. He had a trap that could stop Alpha, but he could not afford to waste it on this creature, needing it to stop Blue-Eyes. He braced, glaring, as Alpha rushed in and sliced the card in half. The holographic cardstock halves fell away to reveal Four-Faced Beast before the Monster shattered, and Alpha returned to his master's portion of the field.

That left no Monsters on the enemy side. It was Umbra's turn, but there was no way he could summon anything to stand up to the Blue-Eyes. He and Lumis traded looks and subvocalized worries across their hidden communicators, but in the end Lumis appeared sure that his plan would work.

Umbra drew, playing Rogue Doll in Attack. The hooded, paraplegic female materialized, a four-star creature with 1600 attack points to Blue-Eyes' 3000.

Kaiba laughed. "Aren't you a little old to be playing with dollies?"

_That's strange_, the spirit thought. _Such low Attack points. It must have to do with Lumis's traps_.

_This should be amusing_, Kaiba smirked silently as Umbra called the attack.

_But maybe not for you_. The spirit shook his head. _Don't be fooled, Kaiba!_

"And while we're at it, activate trap card, Mask of Weakness!" Lumis crowed.

"No!" Kaiba gasped. "Not that!"

_Kaiba, you will fall for every trap out there if you cannot get past the notion that raw power alone will win every Duel and that you are untouchable by anybody but me_, the spirit groaned.

Yet another tribal mask materialized out of a spell card, this one lodging itself in the proud dragon's silver-clad chest. Blue-Eyes' Attack points fell from 3000 to 2300, even as Lumis called the activation of his other set card, a second Mask of Brutality. With Masked Doll still in play before Umbra, the punishing 1000 LP requirement was still negated, while Rogue Doll's Attack points soared up past Blue-Eyes' to 2600. "Rogue Doll," Umbra called triumphantly, "destroy Kaiba's Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"

"Not so fast, Umbra!" the spirit called. "Don't forget – there's two of us! Activate trap card, Spirit Mirror." He smirked at the look of alarm on Umbra's and Lumis's faces at the appearance of the fairy holding a great, round mirror. Both new masks glowed, the Brutality mask on the Doll vanishing only to reappear on top of the Mask of Weakness on Blue-Eyes. Rogue Doll's stat screen dropped back down to 1600 while that of Blue-Eyes shot up to 3300.

"Wh-what's going on?" Umbra demanded, his voice savage with frustration and fury.

"My trap card allows me to redirect a spell to a target of my choosing – and I chose to equip your Mask of Brutality to my teammate's Monster. Now, once again, Kaiba's Blue-Eyes is stronger than your Rogue Doll."

Kaiba lost no time calling the command as power crackled in his Monster's open maw. "Blue-Eyes White Dragon, attack!"

8 8 8 8 8

Kaiba stood in awe, watching as his dragon destroyed Rogue Doll where it could not have done so just a second before, not on the power of its summoner alone. _What is power?_ he found himself asking as he felt a large piece of his world flip on its proverbial head. His eyes closed with the internal struggle. _Power is the thing that I live on. On the field, you don't have partners. Other players are your enemies. Power is used to defeat the enemy and for protecting your reign. Power is to use for yourself._ And yet, he could not deny what he had seen in others, what he himself was experiencing firsthand. He opened his eyes to glance sidelong at the one he had long held in a confusing mixture of hatred, caution, and grudging respect – and realized that it had been a very long time since the hatred part had really been a measurable factor. _The power of cooperation . . . can this power overtake what I believe in?_

His partner nodded encouragement as the two masks on the dragon faded from existence along with the mirror-bearing pixie.

8 8 8 8 8

Umbra gaped as he watched his LP counter plummet from 3700 to 2000. "Lumis, look what you've done!"

"What do you mean, what _I've_ done?"

"Because of you, I'm down half my Life Points!" Umbra alternated between glaring at his teammate and eyeing the thin film between his feet and oblivion.

"You're blaming _me_ for that? Rogue Doll was _your_ Monster!"

-_Looks like they're losing that team spirit they were so proud of_,- Yugi observed.

The spirit nodded. -_When the fight is tough, when you're backed into a corner – though the Shadows hover around the two of us, this is not properly a Shadow Game. Still, before the end of any Game, any Duel, one's true heart is always revealed. And their lack of unity could cost them. I just hope Kaiba is paying attention to the lessons of this Duel._-

Umbra snarled. _If Lumis's mistakes let Kaiba hit me even once more, I'm finished. I'll have to just rely on myself from now on!_

The spirit frowned as he managed to tune out any more thoughts Umbra's wrathful growling pounded across at him.

"I set one card facedown and end my turn." Umbra glared at Kaiba as though all but daring him to loose the dragon on him.

Kaiba was more than happy to oblige. "Power! _Power!_ _POWER!_" he fumed under his breath. "My turn. Draw! And now, my Blue-Eyes, wipe Umbra off the field! Direct attack – Burst Stream!"

The Shadows tightened around the spirit in warning, and he stiffened, eyes flinching to Kaiba in alarm. _Damn you, you fool! You're so caught up in power and winning that you completely ignored Umbra's facedown card. You've just sent your Blue-Eyes right into another trap!_

Umbra's sudden smirk confirmed it. "Of course, you'd try that. Activate spell card, Mask of Impregnability! This spell protects me from direct attacks for one turn. Nice try, Kaiba." He laughed as Kaiba gazed back, laser eyes unreadable. "So predictable, Kaiba. I knew you'd attack me. In fact, I've been holding that card for some time now, just waiting for the right moment." Kaiba's derisive chuckle, however, startled him.

8 8 8 8 8

With a cold grin, Kaiba allowed, "Of course you were prepared – to defend _yourself_. What if I had attacked Lumis instead? Would you have wasted your precious card to keep your teammate in the running? After all, he failed to protect you when _you_ needed it."

"Wh-what? Attack m-me?" Lumis gulped, eyeing Umbra with suspicion.

"Yes," Kaiba hissed, pouncing on the sudden panic in Lumis's eyes. "Don't you wonder what would have happened if it were you the Blue-Eyes White Dragon had targeted? Do you really think Umbra would have protected you with his magic card? Or would he have abandoned you?" Lumis stared back, no one missing the effect of Kaiba's words on his morale. Kaiba stared him down, a predatory challenge in the curve of his confident grin. "That's the danger in depending on someone else to help you when the reality is, there's only one person you can trust – yourself. And if anyone tells you otherwise, they're lying." Lumis's visible eye was wild with fury, fear, and betrayal.

"Hey, no! That's not true!" Umbra protested. "Don't listen to him! Of course, I would have used that card to save you – keh, even if you wouldn't have done the same for me."

"Pompous-assed rich boy," Kaiba heard Urameshi mutter through gritted teeth.

"Incorrigibly," Hashiba agreed with a nod.

8 8 8 8 8

-_Kaiba!_- Yugi fairly screamed in frustration, standing in the doorway of his soul room with one fist grinding the frame. -_That's not true and you know it! You _know_ it! I _know_ you know it!_-

The spirit studied his partner's face and stance, poised immovable with his arms crossed and eyes focused on the bickering opponents. He thought he understood Kaiba's motives but reached out through the Shadows to test the vibes of Kaiba's intentions to be sure. No, his instincts held true, and he nodded in approval. -_It's all right, Aibou. Kaiba recognized the cracks in their cooperation, doubting one another's loyalty. He's just driven wedges in their fragile team spirit, ripping that fissure wide open! Umbra has already abandoned his intention to trust and rely on Lumis. And listen, Lumis is about to do the same!_-

Lumis stood hunched and braced, glaring sidelong over his shoulder at his so-called partner. _Damn! What if Kaiba's right? Umbra probably wants to win this and take all the credit for gaining the God Cards himself! Feh, Malik-sama always liked him best. Fine! I can destroy these two _without_ his help!_

The spirit chuckled silently. -_And there you have it._-

-_Wow_,- Yugi murmured, his tone sad. -_Their trust in each other, shattered so completely – and so easily._-

-_Real trust was never truly there to begin with_.- The spirit shook his head. His _aibou_, his _hikari_ – so innocent and trusting, it hurt the spirit sometimes that Yugi had to know such realities were truth more often than not. He wished he could protect his _aibou_ from the ugliness of the world and the darkness of people's hearts, but there was only so much he could do without blocking Yugi entirely as once he did out of subconscious protectiveness. Yugi _wanted_ to know, if only so he could be fully present for his friends, most of all the besieged spirit of the very Puzzle that had chosen him as partner. Yugi would face the vilest parts of Hell itself if it meant he could lend one ounce of strength and support to his loved ones. Not for the first time, the spirit swore in private that such would never happen, that Yugi would never have to find himself in such a place, figuratively or otherwise.

In the meantime, it was Lumis's turn, and he was furious. "My turn. Draw!" He turned it out for his opponents to verify. "And I play. It is the magic card, Pot of Greed. It allows me to draw two additional cards." The spirit watched him consider his new cards, frowning at his prospects. "I place one card facedown and activate the magic card, Card Exchange. This card allows me to trade my entire hand with one person – and I choose you, Umbra!"

"What?" his partner raged.

"If you're not going to use your cards to help me, then I'll just take them!"

_Brutal_, the spirit chuckled.

-_Nakama!_- Yugi squawked in admonishment, unsure if he were more shocked by Lumis's blatant betrayal or his partner's wry amusement.

If looks could kill, Lumis would have died in finely-shredded pieces from the daggers of his partner's glare, but Umbra had no choice as Lumis marched over to him and accepted the trio of cards slapped into his palm, left one card short by Lumis's hand of only two.

Lumis nearly crowed in exaltation at this new hand as he returned to position. "And now, I activate my facedown magic card, Chosen One – and if this works, you two are finished!"

_Not good!_ the spirit gasped, sensing the restless power of the Monster now stirring in Lumis's hand.

"I place all three cards facedown on the field. The chooser appears in the center." The facedowns took shape in a vague triangle formation around what looked like a giant, demonic child's-toy top with a leering mask of a face on the side, sporting a Horus Eye much like the one that appeared on the spirit's forehead when he fully channeled the power of the Shadow Realm. "The Chooser will pick one of these cards at random. If it chooses one of my two magic cards, all three go to the Graveyard."

"Those are _my_ cards you're risking!" Umbra protested.

"I'm afraid they're not your cards anymore."

"If this doesn't work, you'll be sorry, Lumis!"

"Now, Chooser, make your selection!" The demonic top began spinning as Lumis continued to explain. "I'll lose those magic cards to the Graveyard anyway, but if the Chooser picks the other card I laid down with them, I'll be able to summon to the field an all-powerful Monster without having to have any weaker ones on the field to sacrifice first, a beast that can tackle your Blue-Eyes head on! And then you'll both be finished!"

The spirit noted the tooth-gritting set of the jaw and slight tremor to Kaiba's frame, even as he himself braced in anticipation and dismay. It had been only by a very special team-play that they had Kaiba's mighty wyrm on the field, a play the likes of which they were not likely to repeat. The presence of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon was the sole reason either of them was still in this Duel and, if they lost him, Lumis's Mask of Restrict would prevent them from summoning anything to replace him. If they lost the Blue-Eyes, this Duel was over.

"Yes!" Lumis laughed almost maniacally. "It's slowing down. Now, it's choosing!" The top rocked to a stop, the Eye on the mask's forehead glowing to shoot a beam of white energy into the foremost card and engulf it in light. "That's it! It's chosen my ultimate Monster!"

"Hrrk!" the spirit gulped as Kaiba's eyes went blank with disbelief. _Heart of the Cards, save us. Save our loved ones!_

"The end is near!" Lumis crowed as the Monster card stood up, the other two shimmering out of existence. "I summon the masked creature, Des Guardius!"

The spirit caught a glimpse of eight stars before the card was blocked by the horror depicted on its face. The creature that materialized before them was an abyssal nightmare of horns, talons, skeletal armor and more masks.

-_It's official, Nakama. I don't like masks_,- Yugi muttered in sardonic humor from the dubious safety of his soul room, peering out through their eyes with a shudder of dismay.

Gasping at the stat screen of 3300/2500 that appeared at the Monster's feet for a brief instant, Kaiba moaned, "That thing's more powerful than my Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"

"You have a gift for the obvious, Kaiba," Lumis gloated. "My Des Guardius can demolish your Blue-Eyes with one all-might rake of its claws, sending it back to the Graveyard where it belongs!"

"_My_ Des Guardius," Umbra harrumphed. "You're lucky the outcome of your move was successful!"

"Of course, it was. It's not like _you_ could have gotten him on the field. But, no matter. Now that Des Guardius has been unleashed, this Duel is over! Your Egyptian God Cards will go to Malik-sama and your broken bodies straight to the morgue!"

The spirit stared at the cards in his hand, cards that he knew were useless to save either him or Kaiba against the powerful Monster. Kaiba had his Blue-Eyes at 3000 Attack points, his counter reading 2100 LP. He himself had been eaten down to 1500 LP by the spells equipping two of his cards in play. The Magnet Warriors, Beta and Alpha, still stood at his side, but Alpha only had 1400 Attack points and Beta's were negated entirely by the mask on his face. There _was_ one card sleeping in his Deck, but . . . He could not quite suppress the trembling that shuddered through his frame as his gaze focused past his hand cards for a moment to the glass under his boots – and the ground hundreds of feet below.

* * *

Author's Note: Please be sure to check my bio page for any updates, etc. Thanks!


	27. Chapter 27 Biting the Enemy's Bait

Disclaimer – Yu Yu Hakusho, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and Ronin Warriors (a.k.a. Yoroiden: Samurai Troopers) and all related characters, events, and concepts belong to their respective owners. I get no monetary benefit from this. My benefit is the enjoyment of dealing with beloved characters. If you recognize him/her/it, I don't own him/her/it. If you don't recognize, I might still not be the owner but it'd be best to ask. I'd appreciate it, anyway. ((grin))

"The Spellfire Saga – 1: Shards"  
by DragonDancer5150

Chapter 27 – Biting the Enemy's Bait

"Needle in a haystack . . . " Keiko sighed, shaking her head as she paced along beside her new companions, wishing she knew exactly where Yusuke was. She glanced up sidelong at the new leader of the group, Rajura, a man with thick, long hair the color of snow, a patch over his left eye. She could only wonder how he had lost it – or if there were any correlation to the ugly scar marring the left side of his teammate's face. She guessed that it had been a miracle that Anubisu had not lost _his_ eye when he first received the wound. On the other hand, Shu's and especially Date's were not faces completely unknown to her. Though she had never spoken to them before, she had seen them around town a few times hanging out with her classmate Hashiba, Date Seiji more often than the Chinese boy. And she could only wonder about the connection these men had to the child who walked with such confidence and trust by their side. Still, Jun was a likeable kid, and she did not at all mind his company.

8 8 8 8 8

Anubisu glanced sidelong at the girl, then turned his eyes to the multitude of warehouses and boathouses lining the bayside street. "Heavens is sure that hell-ee-chopper came this way?"

Knowledge of the modern world was not the forte, really, of _any_ of the four-hundred-year-old Seasonals, the Warrior of Winter perhaps the least so. Seiji chuckled. "'Helicopter', Anubisu – and, yes, Touma was certain. You know that," he admonished mildly, none of them wanting to disturb their teammate right now for confirmation, engrossed as he was in the potentially lethal Duel to which he and Yusuke were currently witness. He shook his head. "We have to find Jonouchi-san and the others and end that Duel before either Mutou-san or Kaiba-san are harmed."

"They won't _really_ be killed, will they?" Jun fretted. "I mean, those Ghouls won't _really_ blow up the window . . . ?"

"It's okay, Jun-chan." Keiko lay a hand on the child's shoulder. "Yusuke's with them. He'll make sure they're all right."

Rajura nodded. "Heavens is there, too . . . and Wildfire's group just reached the commuter station," he added as he, Seiji, Shu, and Anubisu received word from Ryo, accompanied by a brief image of the front of the Domino Train Station.

Shu snickered suddenly. "That's the group Shuten's with, isn't it? You know, is it just me," he asked Keiko, grinning, "or does your friend Kurama-san look like he could pass as Shuten's younger brother?"

Before anyone could respond, Seiji caught his breath and pointed. "Speaking of younger brothers, isn't that Kaiba Mokuba-kun?"

Down the street, a smallish figure with long, wild hair of raven-black darted from an alley into the center of the wide street just as a sound like an approaching helicopter rapidly bore down on them, the vehicle itself appearing seconds later, the letters "KC" clearly visible on its flank. Mokuba grabbed hold of the rope ladder dangling from the open door behind the pilots. The helicopter rose up and sped off, even as someone in a black suit and sunglasses winched up the ladder and helped the boy into the safety of the chopper's belly.

"Well, that's one down," Anubisu grunted. "What about the others?"

"We go down that alley and hope we can pick up Mokuba-kun's trail back to wherever he must have escaped from." Seiji did not wait for the rest to follow as he pounded down the street and into the alley.

As they went, Seiji contacted the other Ronins, updating them on what had just happened. To Touma, he added, -_Don't tell Kaiba and Mutou just yet. That will also alert the enemy and, robbed of that advantage, they may pull something rash, like detonate the glass from underneath Kaiba out of spite_.- It disturbed him more than a little that his teammate barely acknowledged his report and request, feeling the slight tremor across the link from one who realized that his companions were in a tight spot that was about to get tighter, like a noose on the neck of a condemned man from under whose feet the gallows' trap door had just dropped.

8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8

"Now that Des Guardius has been unleashed, this Duel is over! Your Egyptian God Cards will go to Malik-sama and your broken bodies straight to the morgue!"

"No . . . Pharaoh-sama! Kaiba-san!" "Kaiba, Mutou . . . ! _DAMMIT!_"

The spirit swallowed hard, blanching as he fought back the panic of acrophobia clawing at his chest. _Fifty stories . . . about four-and-a-half meters carpet to ceiling . . . another meter or more of crawl-space between each floor . . . another half-meter . ._ . Mental math problems had never been his forte any more than Yugi's, but there had to be over two hundred meters, or seven hundred feet, between his boots and the lobby, like a miniature diorama far, far below. The spirit forced his eyes shut, pulling his attention back up to the problem at hand, ignoring the questioning concern floating to him on Shadow tendrils from Urameshi and Hashiba. He glanced sidelong, but Kaiba was too engrossed in the horror before them to take notice of the perspiration and colorless pallor on his partner's face. He growled at himself as he forced himself straight once more, refocusing on the real enemy before him rather than the psychological one below. _Hold your heart strong. _Trust_ in the Heart of the Cards. We _will win_ this!_

-_Together!_- Yugi agreed with a confident nod, shoving back his own fear to wrap strength and support around his _yami,_ helping to steady the spirit's faltering heart.

_You first!_

The spirit startled once again at the snarl of feminine determination responding to Lumis's announcement. That _had_ to be Queen's Knight. He could think of no other explanation . . . even as his heart and his Duelist's instincts adamantly insisted otherwise.

"Decisions, decisions . . . " Lumis taunted, eyes dancing back and forth between his waiting prey. "I could attack you, Yugi, and wipe out the rest of your Life Points, since you've not had a turn to change your Alpha from Attack to Defense yet. Or I could take you on, Kaiba, and get that pesky lizard off the field." He smirked, letting the two sweat another moment before declaring, "And guess what? I choose you, Mutou Yugi!"

_Why am I not surprised?_ the spirit groaned, burying his terror under a growl of sardonic anticipation as he braced.

"_YOU!_" he heard Urameshi snarl, the tone and word choice an insult in themselves.

"Wait!" Umbra protested. "We're supposed to be Dueling as a team, which means I have a say in this, and I say it would be _suicide_ to leave Kaiba's dragon on the field. Lumis – !"

"No! It's my move, and I choose Yugi!"

-_I'm afraid this is it, Nakama!_- Yugi quavered in spite of himself.

"Chh, I knew it." Kaiba's arrogant chuckle startled them all. "I was wondering whether you'd have the guts to challenge my Blue-Eyes White Dragon – and I see that you don't."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You're all talk and no action. Only a coward would take the easy way out instead of flexing his muscles and attacking _my_ Monster."

"What the hell – ?" Urameshi startled. Beside him, Hashiba stood with his arms crossed, studying Kaiba with a crease to his brow . . . and a slow nod.

-_Is he – ?_- Yugi started to ask, too stunned to complete the thought.

-_Yes, Aibou, I think he is. He's deliberately goading Lumis in an attempt to save us!_- The spirit watched Lumis second-guess himself, eyeing his opponents over again with less confidence than a moment ago.

A moment longer, and Lumis came to a decision. "Des Guardius, destroy Kaiba's Blue-Eyes!" The monstrosity leaped forward, power glowing around his outstretched hands.

The spirit watched Kaiba closely as his partner's beloved dragon fell, his counter registering the relatively light 300 LP loss. Still, Kaiba's eyes were closed, his expression one of anguish. _Forgive me, Blue-Eyes_. "Yugi, it's your turn." Laser-blue eyes opened to meet sharp amethyst, full of pain and fury.

The spirit allowed a grim nod of determination. "Kaiba, the soul of your Blue-Eyes will be inherited by the card I draw – I swear it."

"Don't forget! On your Stand-By Phase, you lose yet another 1000 LP from my masks!"

The spirit growled and Yugi gulped at the sickening drop on their counter to a measly 500 LP, accompanied by moans of dismay from off-field as they drew. Exaltation raced through the spirit at the sight of the Monster now in his grip. "And behold, I now hold in my hand the means to destroy your Des Guardius and avenge Kaiba's Blue-Eyes! You'll regret not attacking me after all," he smirked.

"No!" Lumis yelped. "That can't be!"

"Destroying my Blue-Eyes was a big mistake, because now Yugi has something even worse in store for you!" _Or at least, you had better!_

_That I did indeed, Kaiba_, the spirit assured him.

"I-it's a lie!" Lumis fretted.

"You can't summon high-powered Monsters because of our trap card!" Umbra reminded them, his voice tremulous with uncertainty.

"Your trap card only prevents us from sacrificing," the spirit reminded them, "but that's not the only way to summon powerful Monsters, Umbra." He slapped down a Monster card in Attack Mode in the card space between Beta and Alpha. "I summon Gamma, the Magnet Warrior!" The winged, robot-like fighter materialized between his teammates, stat screen reading 1500/1800. "And with all three Magnet Warriors on the field together, I can activate their special ability. Magnet Warriors, transform!" The three robotic warriors glowed at their seams and burst into pieces, Beta's Mask of the Accursed shattering out of existence. The parts then shuffled and combined into a single entity. Before his summoner now stood a tall and powerful new soldier, the stat screen flashing 3500/3850. "Behold – Valkyrion, the Magnet Warrior!"

8 8 8 8 8

"Hey! Sweet!" Urameshi crowed, punching the air.

Touma smirked, glad for Mutou and the Pharaoh. He shook his head in wonder. This game never ceased to amaze him, the more he witnessed its play by such high-level Duelists.

8 8 8 8 8

"With 200 Attack points more than your Des Guardius, consider this payback for destroying my Blue-Eyes!" Kaiba shifted his attention to his partner. "The power of teamwork is strong, but it still won't ease my anger. Attack!"

The spirit scowled as he studied their opponents. _It's true that Valkyrion's Attack power is higher than Des Guardius, and they don't have any facedown spells or trap cards . . . but Lumis and Umbra don't seem nervous at all. I wonder . . . does Des Guardius have some special ability I don't know about?_

Kaiba snarled at his partner's hesitation, seething with fury over the lost dragon. "Yugi, what are you waiting for? I gave up my Blue-Eyes for you. Now you have a beast that can defeat their monstrosity. Attack! Or you'll be sorry!"

The spirit grimaced. "I set one facedown card." He slotted it into a magic/trap space, then turned to his partner. "Kaiba, when you are controlled by emotion, you expose your weakness and bite the enemy's bait."

"Chh, what are you saying? Anger is the key to fighting!" Kaiba retorted.

"Calm yourself down, and you will see the chance to win the Duel."

8 8 8 8 8

_The only way to win at this point is to use Valkyrion to get Des Guardius off the field_. Kaiba growled in silent frustration before a new thought occurred to him. _Hm . . . wait. Des Guardius may have some special ability that activates when it goes to the Graveyard. If it does, then even if Yugi successfully destroys it, we may still lose his Valkyrion. Our best hope is for me to get Obelisk the Great War God on the field . . . but with that Mask of Restrict in play, we can't sacrifice to summon _anything_!_ Kaiba glared at the God Card in his hand, then nearly choked as his mind re-registered the other cards. Two of them were magic cards: De-fusion and Soul Exchange. _That's it! There is a way to summon my Egyptian God Card even _with_ their blasted mask on the field . . . but it will only work if Yugi is willing to give up _his_ Monster, just as I gave up my Blue-Eyes_. Kaiba grimaced, hating the thought of having to depend on another for victory. He shook his head. _No matter. I'll do whatever it takes to save my brother, even depend on my greatest rival . . . for now_. "Yugi . . . we _can_ win this."

8 8 8 8 8

The spirit glanced sidelong with a nod, having "heard" every word. "Right! Valkyrion – destroy their Monster!" Valkyrion leaped in for the kill, massive sword slicing the enemy from crown to crotch.

Yusuke chuckled. "That's gonna leave a mark."

Lumis only smirked. "Ha! You may have destroyed my Monster, but you also activated its special ability! When Des Guardius goes to the Graveyard, it leaves behind its three masks, which combine into the powerful Mask of Remnant." The trio of blue masks lying on the ground at Lumis's feet, left behind with the Monster's passing, shimmered with an ominous red glow and floated up to shoulder level, fusing into the most grotesque mask to date. Lumis laughed. "As revenge for your attack, this mask allows me to take control of your Monster." The mask soared across the field, flipping around to face the other way as it slapped itself over Valkyrion's face, sickly red energy arcing out in all directions. Valkyrion then skimmed across the glass to stand before his new controller. "Valkyrion the Magnet Warrior belongs to _me_ now, leaving you two with no Monsters to defend you at all! Umbra, finish off Yugi, and I'll take care of Kaiba!"

"With pleasure!" Umbra growled as he slotted a magic card. "I activate Masquerade, which allows me to control my partner's Monster as my own. Now, Valkyrion, attack and destroy your _former_ master, Mutou Yugi!"

8 8 8 8 8

Urameshi growled. "Crap . . . "

"Mutou-san, Pharaoh-sama . . . !" Hashiba moaned.

Kaiba shifted in dismay to watch the destruction of his rival/partner, unable to stop the attack. He had De-Fusion, but it was not set for a Quick-Play and it was not his turn. He paused at the smirk of arrogant confidence on his partner's face.

"Don't celebrate just yet. Reveal my facedown card, De-Fusion. It will break down the Monster back into his component parts, stop the attack, _and_ destroy your mask!" Kaiba watched his partner laugh in derision at the furious disbelief on the enemies' faces. "Shocked? You shouldn't be. I'm afraid you're no match for our combined skills and power, Rare Hunters!"

Kaiba could read it in his partner's eyes – it bothered him that his Magnet Warriors still stood in Lumis's corner. He could not help that . . . but Kaiba could. "And now it's _my_ turn." Kaiba drew, absently adding the new card to his hand before handling the one he _really_ wanted. "And behold . . . my Egyptian God Card!"

"Not quite," Lumis snapped. "You'd need to sacrifice three Monsters to summon your God Card, and as long as it's in play, my Mask of Restrict prevents that!"

"Wrong! Your mask only stops me from sacrificing my _own_ Monsters, so I'll sacrifice yours instead – with _this_!" He slotted a spell card. "Activate magic card – Soul Exchange! This lets me sacrifice your three Magnet Warriors." Power erupted from the materialized card to envelope Alpha, Beta, and Gamma.

"Noooooo!" Umbra wailed. "Lumis, stop him!"

"I can't! He's going to summon Obelisk the Great War God, and we'll be done for! Malik-sama will be furious!"

The trio of Monsters vanished in flashes of light, even as a powerful wind picked up, gusting in heavy swirls across the hotel roof and concentrating into a visible twister before Kaiba.

"Behold, the fury of Obelisk! You've been talking about wanting my Egyptian God Card this entire duel, and now you're going to get it – again! Witness his awesome power!" Kaiba laughed, the tone near-maniacal, as the immense stone figure rose from the surface of the skylight as though emerging from a body of water, towering over the field.

8 8 8 8 8

Yusuke and Touma scrambled back, shocked all over again by the terrible power beating at them from the risen god as his stat screen popped up with the incredible listing of 4000/4000.

Yusuke managed a weak laugh. "Man, you just don't get used to this kind of thing, do you?"

Touma could only shake his head. This was his third time experiencing Obelisk's power firsthand . . . and he was still in awe. The mighty "god" was not exactly Arago, but that made him no less impressive.

* * *

Author's Note: Please be sure to check my bio page for any updates, etc. Thanks!


	28. Chapter 28 Puppets

Disclaimer – Yu Yu Hakusho, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and Ronin Warriors (a.k.a. Yoroiden: Samurai Troopers) and all related characters, events, and concepts belong to their respective owners. I get no monetary benefit from this. My benefit is the enjoyment of dealing with beloved characters. If you recognize him/her/it, I don't own him/her/it. If you don't recognize, I might still not be the owner but it'd be best to ask. I'd appreciate it, anyway. ((grin))

"The Spellfire Saga – 1: Shards"  
by DragonDancer5150

Chapter 28 – Puppets

"And now, Obelisk attacks Umbra's Life Points directly!"

"UMBRA!" Lumis shrieked as the massive fist, any one finger of which was as long as Umbra was tall, rocketed down to smash through the Rare Hunter and into the glass surface at his feet. Power coursed through Umbra and he collapsed, momentarily senseless. "Umbra, are you all right?"

"He's fine . . . but only until his LP counter finishes counting down. Looks like you've fallen victim to your own trap, Rare Hunters!" Kaiba watched in cold satisfaction as the digits on the detonator box in Umbra's corner plunged through the numbers to zero. Several small, muffled detonations sounded under Umbra's quarter of windowpane and the glass shattered from beneath his body. He watched in grim silence as Umbra dropped from the surface of the skylight, screaming in terror.

"Umbra! NO, UMBRA!" Lumis darted to the edge, careful to stay on his portion of glass, the structure underneath still largely intact.

One hand went a decorative chain clasp, and a small parachute snapped open from the back of Umbra's robe. He floated down several more yards before the material tangled on a flagpole protruding into the shaft from a floor about halfway down, and he hung unmoving, passed out from shock.

"Umbra! Umbra, come back! Don't leave me here!"

8 8 8 8 8

"Hn, a parachute," the spirit murmured. "I figured as much. And you dared to call this a Duel to the death. The odds are against you, Lumis, and you are powerless against our Egyptian God Card. Surrender." He watched the Rare Hunter collapse to his knees, staring in horror at the mammoth stone monstrosity before him.

Kaiba, however, had other plans. "Don't let him off the hook yet! The winners must beat down _both_ of the losers, and Lumis needs to pay for what he's done! I'll send that bastard to hell."

Hashiba frowned. "Kaiba-san, revenge is no answer. You two have beaten the Masks of Light and Darkness. Their power is broken. That humiliation alone is punishment enough."

"Not to mention what Malik will do to them for failing to defeat you two," Urameshi smirked.

"And if you kill him," Hashiba persisted, "you may lose this chance to discover where they're keeping the prisoners."

The spirit nodded. "Hashiba and Urameshi are right, Kaiba. Besides, his fighting spirit is gone. We'll only shame ourselves by chasing after him at this point."

Kaiba growled. "Wise up, you three! Completely crushing the enemy is the only way to ensure his defeat – !" A sudden shout of pain and fear cut him off.

"AAHHHH!" Lumis gasped, clutching his head in agony. "Please, don't be angry! We tried our best! Please, don't – NOOOOOO!"

Kaiba frowned in confusion. "What now?"

"I gotta bad feeling about this," Urameshi murmured.

The spirit felt it, too, and from the look on his face, so did Hashiba. A power was invading – or rather, awakening in – Lumis, assaulting his mind, one with which he was growing all too familiar. He could just make out a glow coming from the man's forehead, largely concealed by the cowl and mask he wore, and guessed it to be the same stylized Horus Eye.

Lumis's shrieks died without warning, dropping into a low chuckle as he pushed to his feet without effort. The quality of his voice had changed as well as he commented, "So . . . now I've seen Obelisk. The power of the god is certainly impressive."

The spirit snarled, his fury back in full force. "Malik, come out and show yourself! Where is Mokuba? Where are my friends?"

Kaiba stared in shock. "What . . . ? He's changed. What's going on?"

"He's being controlled by another, the same one who controlled that mime."

"Hn . . . I remember seeing that. And who is he?"

"The leader of the organization the Rare Hunters are part of, the Ghouls. His name is Malik. He also has a God Card."

Kaiba gasped in shock. "The Dragon of the Sun-God Ra!"

Malik-controlled Lumis chuckled. "Hey there, Kaiba-kun. I have to thank you for fighting my subordinates. Because of you, I am fully prepared now. My plan is working smoothly. Through these two Hunters, I now have seen how both your Decks are constructed. You won't win over my Deck, and that's not counting my Winged Sun Dragon of Ra. He alone gives me more power than all of your cards combined. He is by far the most powerful – yes, even beyond your Obelisk, Kaiba. And with him, I will realize my true goal. Yugi, you and I continue the fight of 3,000 years ago. The anger of the Tombkeepers will only be appeased with your death! To that end, I have prepared a special Duel, the harshest fight you'll ever accept. Your friends have been waiting for you. Now, it's show time."

Within their heart, Yugi fretted. *_Jou-kun, everyone . . . n-no . . ._ *

Hashiba had ascended the skylight to stand by the spirit's side while Urameshi investigated a troublesome sensation from the roof-access stairway. He scowled. "That bastard's done something to Jonouchi-kun and the others."

"Malik, what have you done to them?" the spirit demanded.

"You should enjoy the puppet show I have planned."

"Puppet show?" The spirit gasped. "You've turned them into puppets just like your Rare Hunters?"

Controlled-Lumis cocked his head, a grin of cruel amusement spreading across his face as his eyes flicked to something behind his adversaries. "Hm . . . speaking of puppets . . . well, let's see how _that_ plays out first, shall we?"

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Hashiba grunted, glancing back at the stairwell shed as Urameshi cautiously eased the door open.

"Malik!" roared the spirit, rife with frustration and fear for his friends, "you _bastard!_"

Kaiba strode across the skylight, burying both fists in the front of Lumis's robe and lifting the squat man to eye level. "Where is my brother? Where is Mokuba? I won the Duel. Keep your promise!"

Lumis chuckled. "My promise? To set him free, you mean?"

"Bastard!" Kaiba growled, shaking him.

Hashiba and the spirit drew up behind him, the spirit gesturing for him to stop as they both felt the power fade from Lumis. "Kaiba, he's only a puppet. Threatening him will do no good."

"Chh . . . " Kaiba dropped the man, who collapsed unconscious to the glass.

"Besides," Hashiba admitted with some reluctance, "I just got word a little bit ago from some buddies in the bay area. They weren't able to catch up to your brother, but they did lay eyes on him climbing the ladder of a helicopter as it rose up above the buildings. It had your company logo on the side, so it must have been one of yours that he radioed to have meet him."

Kaiba's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "And just how did you 'get word' of this?"

Deep sapphire eyes met laser blue without flinching. "Let's just say that this Armor I'm wearing has a special communication system. You remember the blond guy from back at the waterway, with the bangs that sweep down over one eye? That's my teammate, Seiji. He and several others are in the bay area right now – looking for your friends," he added for the spirit's and Mutou's sakes, " – and they saw your brother, Mokuba. I'm sorry I didn't tell you before, but that would have let the enemy know we knew, too."

"Kaiba," the spirit insisted, "contact your headquarters again. Find out where they've taken Jonouchi! Then, Hashiba can direct his companions."

Kaiba glared at Hashiba a moment longer, then favored his rival with a glance before turning his attention to the Ghoul at his feet. "Yeah, sure, but first . . . " He dropped to his knees, locating two clear plastic cards from the bottom of the stack in the Deck slot of Lumis's Duel Disk. "Yugi, the puzzle cards that are our right from this Duel. Now we both have six and qualify for the finals." He offered one to the spirit.

Even as he accepted it, knowing that he would need it later, the spirit frowned up at Kaiba. "How can you be thinking about that right now? This is not the time for your tournament. Jonouchi – !"

The sudden appearance of a helicopter drowned out his words as it rose up from beneath the level of the hotel roof, shifting sideways to touch down on a painted, designated landing circle on the concrete next to the skylight. The rear door on the side slid open to reveal Mokuba. "Big Brother!" He leaped out as the three dropped down from the surface of the skylight and crossed to meet him.

"Mokuba, are you all right?" Kaiba demanded.

"Yes, I'm fine. Anzu helped me escape."

"Anzu!" the spirit gasped. "Is _she_ all right? And where are the others – Jonouchi, Honda, Grandpa?" Not _his_ grandfather, the spirit knew, but now was not the time for that.

"I'm sorry," Mokuba murmured, his tone heartfelt as he gazed up at them, his eyes mournful. "I don't know. When I went back to the storehouse where they'd been holding us, there was no one there."

The spirit gazed back in a moment of stricken silence as Yugi grieved from within their heart.

"Yugi, Hashiba, get on the helicopter," Kaiba ordered, not unkindly. "Your companion saved Mokuba. I will repay that debt."

"Thank you," Hashiba murmured.

"Kaiba . . . " The spirit nodded, praying that they would not be too late. He turned to find his other new friend before boarding. "Urameshi, come on – ?" He choked. Urameshi was nowhere to be seen, and the spirit noticed a power he could feel from the direction of the access shed, one matching the sensation he had felt the evening before during the fight that Urameshi and Hashiba's companions had tried to pass off as an ordinary tournament Duel. He cursed silently as he realized that he had felt it slowly growing for some time now but had been too preoccupied with his own worries to bother to take note. That might cost his new friends just as his own enemy was costing Jonouchi and the others.

"Looking for me?" queried a voice that was both familiar and alien in its changed tonal quality. Urameshi stepped into view from behind the door, a vile smirk twisting his lips. A deep cut freely bled down his right cheekbone. He stretched his arms over his head as though enjoying the feel of his own body's movement, then shook out his hands and crossed his arms. "Hm . . . what an interesting concept. Sohma's been easy enough to manipulate, but I never considered remote control. Once I've gathered all the pieces of Arago once again, I will have to thank that guy for the idea – before I kill him and take _his_ power, too."

Kaiba scowled. "Urameshi, what are you talking – ?" He interrupted his own question with a gasp as the realization hit him. "Malik again? But how – ?"

8 8 8 8 8

Touma snarled, shifting to put himself between Yusuke and his defenseless companions. Their cards would not help in a fight of _this_ nature. "No, Kaiba-san, _not_ Malik."

"This is the work of that armored fighter you and your friends faced last night, isn't it?" At Touma's startled glance, the spirit explained, "I was there for that fight. That was no Duel, whatever inventive ploy your companions tried to use to cover it up to the crowd in general. You already know that Aibou and I are aware of an enemy after _your_ company."

Mind-controlled Yusuke growled. "Enough talk. You already know what I want. Heh, let me put this in terms you two can understand." He sneered at Kaiba and the spirit as he brought his right fist up, index finger pointed out like the barrel of a pistol. "Duel start, and first move is mine! _Spirit Gun!_"

8 8 8 8 8

The spirit gasped in shocked horror as Hashiba tackled him to the ground, the huge, blue-white blast of crackling energy passing mere inches above them and standing the hairs on his arms up on end. _Dear gods!_ He had seen Urameshi shoot that . . . whatever-the-hell-it-was last night, but it was quite another experience to have that blast of raw power come straight at him. This was not a Duel. His cards would not work! He did not know if there were _any_ responding actions he could take short of initiating a full-blown Shadow Game – and that he was not willing to do, not when the potentially lethal Shadows could cost his new friend his sanity or even his life. Nor could he be sure that others would not be caught in the realm of influence and sucked into the Game. He glanced sideways to see that Kaiba had knocked his little brother off his feet, successfully dodging both of them out of harm's way. No, he would not pull innocents into such a hazard, not if he could help it.

*_We . . . may not have a choice!_* Yugi murmured, shivering in horror.

"Stay down. If you can, get to the helicopter." Hashiba gave the spirit a quick pat on the back to make sure he had his attention before rolling away and to his feet.

"W-what about you?" the spirit gasped.

Gloved knuckles rapped the deep-blue breastplate of his body armor. "The power controlling him is only after me. It'll leave you alone if you get the hell outta here! I can take a shot from Urameshi-kun. You can't." He gasped in surprise, noting as the spirit did as a field of silver energy snapped into existence around Yugi's body even as he spoke.

The spirit froze, breath hitching. _. . . the _hell_?__ Gods, now what?_

Kaiba had rolled to his knees, pulling Mokuba behind him, staring in disbelief at the close-fitting force field. The spirit saw Kaiba's eyes flick to the Duel Disk on his arm. It was _not_ powered up. "Yugi, what the _hell_ card is that?"

"You got an energy shield you can create?" Hashiba demanded at the same time.

The spirit shook his head at both of them, noting that whatever it was did not seem to hamper his movement as he pushed cautiously to his elbows. "This is not my doing! Urameshi?" He had reeled the Shadows back into the Puzzle with the end of the Duel, but now unfurled a few tendrils once more, testing the field around him . . . and gasped in shock at the Shadows that tested his in return.

_Cowards, both of you! Hiding behind puppets . . ._ Those thoughts again! The spirit guessed that whomever's they were, she was not aware that he could hear them. _The Pharaoh and the Puzzle Master are MINE! I protect what I have claimed._ Gods, he did not like the sound of that . . . However, he had a more immediate problem at hand as Urameshi leered at the small group, striding across the skylight and right over Lumis's unconscious body.

8 8 8 8 8

Touma had put a considerable amount of distance between himself and his companions, relieved that controlled-Urameshi focused on him to the total exclusion of Mutou and the Kaibas. "Come on, buddy – snap out of it. Fight it!"

Controlled-Yusuke laughed, shrugging. "Sorry, can't hear you. No one's home." Leveling his hands, he fired again and, this time, Touma did not quite get out of the way fast enough, the shot catching his shoulder and sending him reeling to the ground with a cry.

8 8 8 8 8

"Big Brother, what's wrong with him? What's going on? And what's that he's shooting?"

"I don't know, and we're not sticking around to find out." Kaiba remembered Urameshi being the first to step up and offer to help Yugi find his friends, and his protectiveness against the goons in the alley. Had he intended to betray them all along? Kaiba shook his head. This was not his affair, especially not with his little brother present. Under no circumstances would he risk Mokuba getting hurt by this insanity. "Yugi, get on the helicopter! Let Hashiba deal with his own troubles."

8 8 8 8 8

*_No!_* Yugi gasped. *_W-we can't just _leave_ them!_*

The spirit shoved to his feet, ignoring the silver field shimmering on the edges of his sight. If Kaiba left, he could initiate a Shadow Game and not have to worry about entrapping innocent bystanders . . . but if Kaiba left, so might his and Yugi's only chance to reach Jonouchi before it was too late. He hesitated, fists clenching in furious indecision. He desperately wanted to get to Jonouchi, but his honor would not let him abandon ones who had stood by his side in his own time of need.

He heard Kaiba snarl as he backed himself and Mokuba to the helicopter. "Yugi!"

Hashiba had rolled to one knee, clutching his shoulder. He watched Urameshi advance on him but spared the briefest of glances for his companion. "Pharaoh-sama, go with Kaiba-san. Get out of here!"

"No! Hashiba, I won't leave you and Urameshi!"

"I got backup already on the way. Go save Jonouchi-san! Do it!" He ducked and rolled as Urameshi dove to grapple him.

"Last chance, Yugi! Come or stay, but decide now! I will _not_ wait for you."

"Yugi, come on! Hurry!"

The spirit cursed vehemently under his breath before he turned and sprinted for the helicopter, the mysterious force field dissipating as he ran. He knew that Hashiba must have already contacted his teammates through the power of that magical armor of his, in which case he had some dozen people already moving in response. Jonouchi had no one but him and Yugi. The helicopter had already begun to lift off and he sprang, Kaiba and Mokuba catching his wrists and pulling him aboard. He turned with a moan of dismay to watch Urameshi bear down on Hashiba with another shot of his energy gun-hand attack square to the chest. _DAMN IT!__ Hashiba, Urameshi, this I swear to you – I will come back as soon as Jonouchi and the others are safe. You helped me, and I will not forget that. You have my word of honor as a Duelist – I _will_ return!_

8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8

_Well, well, new toy, seems I can read your mind while I control it. The train station, huh? And another group not far from the pier, and the last near the commuter airport? Hm, decisions, decisions . . . _

* * *

Author's Note: Please be sure to check my bio page for any updates, etc. Thanks!


	29. Chapter 29 One by One

GAHH! You know, there are disadvantages to relying on the anime and writing a fanfic before the manga has been released up to the point from which you are drawing your material. As much as I love him, I have not been dealing hardly at all with Bakura Ryou because, in the anime, he was not with the others for the Duels before their capture and Dark Bakura's meeting with Malik, but in the manga he was right there by their side, just as he was in Duelist Kingdom! Plus, Honda was /not/ alongside Jou and the others, he and Otogi having left by train to another town entirely to go get Shizuka. YGO: Duelist, Vol's 12 & 13 have been released since I wrote this material. ((meh)) Maybe one day, I'll go back and re-write certain parts of this fic to make up for the inconsistencies between YGO canon anime and manga . . . but not any time soon. ((sheepish grin)) In the meantime, Bakura's . . . erm, around and Otogi (who did _not_ go to America) met Honda when he split off from the others to pick up Shizuka at Domino City Hospital. Um . . . yeah. ((nodnod)) That'll work. ((sweatdrop))

Disclaimer – Yu Yu Hakusho, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and Ronin Warriors (a.k.a. Yoroiden: Samurai Troopers) and all related characters, events, and concepts belong to their respective owners. I get no monetary benefit from this. My benefit is the enjoyment of dealing with beloved characters. If you recognize him/her/it, I don't own him/her/it. If you don't recognize, I might still not be the owner but it'd be best to ask. I'd appreciate it, anyway. ((grin))

"The Spellfire Saga – 1: Shards"  
by DragonDancer5150

Chapter 29 – One by One

"Hey, isn't that Otogi Ryuuji from school, the kid who owns the Black Crown gaming store with his dad?" Kuwabara pointed at the tall, slim third-year whose taste in clothing made him stand out from any crowd, descending the stairs at the front of the Domino Station amid scores of other people.

"Hey, you're right," Ryo nodded. "And Honda-san. I thought he'd still be with his buddies."

Nasutei frowned in concern. "Well, that means those Ghouls haven't gotten to him yet. I wonder who the girl with them is. Looks like she's sustained a head injury of some kind." She studied the white bandages over the upper half of the girl's face that she could see even from this distance, covering her eyes.

Yukina looked down at her hands, as though wondering if her modest healing ability would do the young human any good.

Shuten laid a gentle hand on the small youkai's shoulder. "Come, let us follow them. Our own enemy has yet to make an appearance this day, but theirs has made several now. I suspect it will only be a matter of time before these three find themselves under attack as well."

Shuten's words proved too true as, several moments later, a group of black-clad thugs – the style of their robes matching the purple-attired Rare Hunters even now facing Mutou and Kaiba – emerged from the crowds. Otogi was ready to stand and fight, but Honda would not risk anything happening to the girl with them. Before Ryo and the others could catch up and make themselves known, Honda had the girl on his back, and he and Otogi took off down an alley, the half-dozen-plus thugs in hot pursuit.

8 8 8 8 8

The groups chased one another along narrow walkways and into an industrial portion of town. Otogi followed as Honda turned and ducked into a pedestrian tunnel under an overpass, only to skid to a stop as more Ghouls blocked the other end.

"Lovely," Otogi grunted. "Now what?"

"Honda-san?" Shizuka quavered, clinging to him.

Honda retreated into the wall, sliding the girl off his back. "Shizuka-chan, stay here. Otogi!"

"Gotcha." Otogi stood angled shoulder-to-shoulder with Honda, Shizuka between and behind them sandwiched to the wall. He looked at the collected dozen-plus people closing on them from either end of the tunnel and shook his head, muttering over his shoulder, "Damn! Honda-kun, there's too many. What's going on? What do they want?" He had yet to get an explanation out of Honda as to who these people were that were after them – or why.

8 8 8 8 8

Honda recognized them from descriptions of the thugs who had assaulted Jonouchi on the eve of the tournament's beginning and could guess well enough whom they were after next. "Jou told me they call themselves Ghouls, and they're after Yugi – both Yugis. Probably wanna try to use us to get at them."

"Yugi-kun? Other-Yugi-san?" Otogi growled, bracing down for a desperate fight. "Oh, like hell, they will!"

"Surrender, and no one gets hurt," the foremost Ghoul demanded.

Another leered. "Yeah, don't want anything bad to happen to that pretty flower you got with you, eh?"

Shizuka gasped in fright. "N-no! Honda-san!"

The Ghouls dove in. Honda yanked off his jacket, throwing it over the head of one attacker to blind him while he blocked and kicked the next nearest. Behind him, Otogi had palmed a handful of dice and was flicking them at enemy eyes and temples with surprising accuracy, slowing a few down before he was forced to meet the rest in hand-to-hand combat. A cry from Shizuka distracted Honda long enough for one Ghoul to catch him with a punch to the jaw, dropping him to the ground. He twisted to glimpse his best friend's little sister struggle blindly against the iron-strong grip on her wrist, pulling back with all her slight weight and begging to be let go.

8 8 8 8 8

Otogi yelped in pain as a thug grabbed his hand and wrenched the arm up behind his back. He sensed movement coming at him from another direction and twisted to block the new attack, only to duck down and to one side as a huge fist smashed the nose of the thug holding him. Otogi blinked up in surprise at a face he recognized from school. "K-kuwabara Kazuma-kun?"

"Yep, the one and only!" Kuwabara grinned at him, helping steady Otogi as the thug fell unconscious.

8 8 8 8 8

"Shuten, get the girls out of here," one of the newcomers ordered. "We'll take care of these guys."

Honda readily accepted the hand up from the little girl with mint green hair and wide ruby eyes, but frowned at the strangers surrounding Shizuka – a man with long straight hair the color of ruddy cinnamon and the young woman now holding Shizuka's hand with a hastily-murmured, "You'll be all right now. We're friends. Come on!"

"N-no. Who are you? Where's Honda-san, Otogi-san? Where is Katsuya-Big-Brother?"

"No deal, Sanada," Honda growled, recognizing the captain of the school's soccer team, even as he eyed the robed men who had backed off and were murmuring among themselves, revising their own attack plan in the face of their targets' newly-arrived reinforcements. "Shizuka-chan stays with us."

8 8 8 8 8

Ryo nodded, understanding completely even if he did not like that plan. However, for the same reason of protecting the women in the group, he was no longer willing to stand and fight any more than Honda had been before. "Then run!" He helped Honda get the blind girl up on his back once more as Kuwabara did the same with Yukina and Shuten grabbed his wife's arm. The group bolted, breaking through the slightly thinner blockade of Ghouls to the opposite end of the tunnel, down another alley and out into the open, aiming to disappear into a crowd crossing a busy intersection.

8 8 8 8 8

The Ghouls did an admirable job of keeping the group in sight until they scattered into a parking structure, where Nasutei, Shizuka, and Yukina hid in the bed of an oversized pickup truck while Ryo, Honda, Otogi, Kuwabara, and Shuten doubled back to deal with their pursuers. The Ghouls were quickly knocked out and bound up, left for someone else to find and deal with.

Honda dusted himself off, mentally washing his hands of that mess. "Thanks for the help. So, any idea who those guys were?" He hoped they would believe that he and Otogi knew nothing of the men who had been after them. He did not want to have to try to explain why the thugs might be after Yugi and his oversized necklace.

Ryo met Honda's eye with a hard gaze, not fooled. "You probably know more than we do. They're targeting _your_ buddies, after all. Where are Jonouchi-san, Anzu, and Mutou-san's grandfather."

Honda stiffened, and Otogi eyed them with suspicion. "What the – how do you know – ?"

Honda put a hand on Otogi's shoulder. "Cool it." He turned to Kuwabara. "You're Urameshi Yusuke's buddy, right?"

"Yeah. Kuwabara Kazuma." They shook hands. "This is Sanada Ryo and Shuten Doiji."

Shuten offered a bow. "A pleasure to meet you."

They had returned to the truck by then, the girls overhearing the introductions being made. Nasutei helped guide Shizuka. "Pleased to meet you. My name is Nasutei Yagyu."

"Yukina." The girl hopped nimbly to the ground before offering a deep bow.

Honda nodded. "Honda Hiroto. Otogi Ryuuji." He jabbed a thumb at Otogi. "And this is Jonouchi Shizuka."

"My brother is Jonouchi Katsuya. He's participating in this weekend's tournament. Please, have you seen him?" Shizuka queried, fear coloring her voice. With her poor eyesight, Honda realized that her hearing was sharper than most realized – she had likely heard the comments leading into the introductions, and Honda's words to Otogi back in the tunnel could not have been lost on her, either. "Those men might be after my brother and Yugi-san?"

8 8 8 8 8

Ryo sighed. "Yeah, we think so. Look, Honda-san, we know some of our buddies were with you a few hours ago. Touma called earlier, when he remembered that they were supposed to meet up with us and parted company with you guys." He was vague on purpose. As a Ronin Warrior, and of the virtue Righteousness, it went against his nature to lie outright. He would just have to let Honda fill in the blanks he left in his explanation. Cell phones were not completely uncommon items these days, for instance.

8 8 8 8 8

Honda was nodding. "Yeah, they took off pretty suddenly. Everything all right?" The expressions of deep alarm had not been lost on him, no matter how nonchalantly they tried to play it off after the fact.

Kuwabara laughed. "Yeah, nothin' to worry about. Just that Urameshi knew I'd pound his ugly face in if he was late."

"And you think something's happened since then?" Otogi murmured, thinking. He glanced at Honda, then shrugged. "Honda took off shortly after your buddies did to meet me at the train station to go pick up Shizuka-chan at the hospital. She just had eye surgery a few days ago and has been given the go-ahead to take off her bandages."

Shizuka nodded with great enthusiasm. "The first thing I'm going to see is my big brother dueling in Battle City! It's only because of him that I was able to have the surgery in the first place, and I want to be there to support him in return."

Nasutei smiled at her. "That sounds wonderful, Shizuka-chan." The girl's responding grin beamed brightly from under the bandages.

Honda frowned. "Anzu called Otogi's cell phone to let us know that something had happened to another friend of ours, Bakura Ryou. He'd been assaulted and left for dead or something. Mutou-Grandfather was taking him by taxi to the hospital, and Anzu wanted to know if we could meet them, but we were already on the train heading back here."

"I've tried calling Anzu a couple of times since then," Otogi put in, "but her cell's been busy. Weird." He shrugged.

8 8 8 8 8

Ryo and Shuten exchanged furtive glances, recalling the report from Touma about the failed phone call by Mutou's pharaonic spirit friend, and the older Ronin pulled a deep breath. "If something has happened and Jonouchi-kun and Anzu have already been taken, that may explain why she's not answering." Deeply dismayed gasps sounded in reply.

Shizuka choked. "Big Brother . . . "

A moan sounded from a few yards away as one of the Ghouls began to regain consciousness. Ryo saw Honda give his new companions a quick glance before withdrawing from among them, striding angrily up to the man bound to a support column by a fire hose. "All right, you. Where's Jonouchi? You know him, right? Where is he?"

The man looked up, bleary-eyed, and tried to focus on the face before him. "J-jonou-chi? Jonouchi K-katsuya? Malik-sama . . . D-domino Pier . . . duel . . . " He passed out again.

"Malik? Who's Malik?"

Ryo had come up beside Honda. "The one who's behind these Ghouls – and I think that answers _that_ about Jonouchi-san. Come on!"

The group sped out of the parking structure, hitting the street at a dead run – only nearly to get run over by an expensive, blue European-style convertible. "Hey, you people! The crossing light's red!"

Yukina gasped, recognizing the blonde human female. "Kazuma-san, that's the woman from the plaza we saw with Mutou-san and Jonouchi-san this morning!"

8 8 8 8 8

"Mai!" Honda gasped, thanking every local and national Shinto god he could recall just then. "Kujaku Mai! Man, am I glad to see you!"

"H-honda? What's going on? You look all freaked out."

"We've had a few run-ins with a group of creeps called Ghouls – "

"The Ghouls?" Mai scowled. "I've heard of them. They're an underground crime ring that preys on Duelists for rare cards."

"Yeah?" Sanada snorted. "Well, they do more than that."

"They've got Jonouchi!"

Mai rolled her eyes at Honda. "That knucklehead! How could he fall for – ? Do you know where he is?"

Otogi nodded. "Domino Pier. We gotta get there now!"

Mai looked the company over. "Sure thing . . . but I can't take everyone." Her car could fit three more, four if they got really friendly in the back seat, but there were eight people standing there.

8 8 8 8 8

Just then, Ryo and Shuten stiffened, gasps of horror wrenched from throats gone suddenly dry. "Urameshi-kun . . . " the Warrior of Fire moaned.

Kuwabara frowned in concern. "What about Urameshi?" Honda and Otogi could only stare at them in confusion.

Shuten shook his head, refocusing to meet Honda's questioning gaze. "Honda-kun, take your friends and go to the pier. Jonouchi-kun is in need of your help. Mutou-kun is already on his way – "

"Or will be as soon as he gets his butt in gear," Ryo muttered, listening to Touma's frustrated inner dialogue about Pharaoh-sama getting the hell out of dodge and taking Kaiba-san's offer of a lift.

Honda gaped at them. "What the hell – ! How could you possibly – ?"

"Never mind that!" Ryo barked. "Get to your friend. He needs you. We have our own mess to deal with. Go!"

"Come on, Shizuka-chan. Up and over." Nasutei was already guiding the blindfolded girl into Mai's back passenger seat. Otogi bolted around the car to jump in beside Shizuka from the other side.

8 8 8 8 8

Reluctant to abandon them, Honda climbed in next to Mai before turning back to Sanada, recalling Urameshi's words to Jonouchi right before he took off after his buddies. He caught Sanada's arm, squeezing briefly. "Good luck, Sanada, everyone. Be careful. And thanks again!" He let go and waved as Mai revved the engine and raced off at high speed.

8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8

Another group pounded the sidewalks of Domino City, the little commuter airport now several minutes behind them as they raced to reunite with their companions. Yusuke had been taken, and they had just lost contact with Touma.

"Kurama!"

Kurama scowled, skidding to a stop. "Yes, Hiei, I sensed it, too."

Behind them, Naaza scowled. Kurama guessed that he had felt a flare of power but could not identify it. "What is it?" Beside him, Shizuru looked about, a frown of concentration on her face.

"A periphery portal just opened only meters from here . . . in that direction. It felt much like the armor's teleports that we witnessed yesterday."

"Sohma-kun," Shin murmured. "It has to be." The Warrior of Trust led the way down the alley.

The group stayed close together, the four fighters keeping their non-combatant friend behind them. The air was absolutely still here – Kurama initially missed the scent – and instinctive skill passed from armor shard to host made it nearly impossible to hear as it prowled up behind them. Hiei and Naaza were the first to sense the threat, but they turned too late to keep a thrown shard of glass from slicing across Shizuru's arm. Echoing laughter retreated along with the agitated danger sense as another periphery portal opened somewhere very close, the armor teleporting away yet again.

Shin caught Shizuru as her legs buckled, her face contorting in pain and struggle for a moment before going blank. "Shizuru-san? Are you all right?"

Kurama dropped to his knees next to them as Naaza and Hiei shifted to guard their flanks. "Shizuru?" His eyes flicked to the glass shard as he realized that his supernaturally heightened sense of smell caught not only Shizuru's blood scent on it but Sohma's as well.

Dazed, Shizuru touched the wound, blood seeping down over her fingers. She lifted her hand in front of her face to regard the sight for a moment, then focused past it to find Shin's eyes. Without warning, an ugly grin twisted her lips and she lashed out, raking Shin's face with her nails, drawing blood. Shin dropped her, reeling back with a cry. Shizuru smirked at him. "Gotcha!" Her gaze shifted to Kurama.

"Damn, no!" Kurama backpedaled with an awkward lurch, poorly positioned in that moment for defensive maneuvering. Naaza grabbed his shoulder and pulled him away as Shizuru and Shin both climbed to their feet, a terrible look in their eyes.

* * *

Author's Note: Please be sure to check my bio page for any updates, etc. Thanks!


	30. Chapter 30 No Matter What

Author's Note: "Other Me" or "My Other Self" is the . . . erm, "proper" name that both Yugi and Yami use for each other. Yes, Yami uses it, too, but his word choice is a little different. Yugi says "_Mou Hitori no Boku_," while Yami uses the "rougher" term for "I/me" which is "_ore_" – "_Mou Hitori no Ore_." So that is why one of Yami's quotes has _him_ saying "Other Me" as well which, even by canon, he does on occasion. And, yes, I have Yami use the term "beloved" in relation to Yugi once. Yes, he loves Yugi . . . As. A. Brother. Just as _my_ little brother is "beloved" to me. Deal. LOL

Disclaimer – Yu Yu Hakusho, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and Ronin Warriors (a.k.a. Yoroiden: Samurai Troopers) and all related characters, events, and concepts belong to their respective owners. I get no monetary benefit from this. My benefit is the enjoyment of dealing with beloved characters. If you recognize him/her/it, I don't own him/her/it. If you don't recognize, I might still not be the owner but it'd be best to ask. I'd appreciate it, anyway. ((grin))

"The Spellfire Saga – 1: Shards"  
by DragonDancer5150

Chapter 30 – No Matter What

"Kaiba . . . I am Yugi, but also not Yugi. I am another spirit, awakened from the Millennium Puzzle – the spirit of a pharaoh not recorded in history."

8 8 8

"If Malik can brainwash people, he's done so to Jonouchi by now. You're contradicting yourself. You can't give me a straight answer because of the dilemma in your heart. You let me see the power of cooperation in the Duel with the Rare Hunters, but now you're going to have to fight Jonouchi. Will you have the power of cooperation between you then? _Answer_ me, Yugi!" - "Kaiba, the answer is here."

8 8 8

"Yugi, you can't escape fightin' me. In this Duel, you won't be bettin' a plastic card but your life. One of us's gonna die!" - "Jonouchi-kun, I really hoped for us to Duel here in Battle City, but not until after we both become True Duelists and can have an honorable Duel . . . This is a trap of Malik's, _not_ the Duel we promised each other!"

8 8 8

"Malik's revenge – he really is trying to _kill_ Yugi! This is _not_ a Duel! Even at my worst, I would never have done _this!_ The only way to find the 'answer' is for someone to die! _If that's the price, I don't want to know!_"

8 8 8

_How can I fight? The one whose Life Points reach zero first dies!_

8 8 8

_I don't want to fight with him. This is not the Duel I wanted . . . but I _have_ to fight! The Duelist's fire in Jonouchi's heart can't have gone out. It's still there_. "Jonouchi-kun, I will wake you . . . as a Duelist!"

8 8 8

_Yugi, don't die. You _have_ to hang on! Hang on in this stupid Duel that has no self-respect_.

8 8 8

-Nakama, Other Me – let me share half your pain. As the coward self, Jonouchi still wanted to be my friend. He protected me in the fire. He's always there. This should be **my** fight!- - -Aibou, this Duel is dangerous.- - -I know, but haven't you told me that I have the friends I have not because of the Millennium Puzzle but by my own power? Let me prove that in this Duel. If I can win back Jonouchi-kun's heart, I can prove that I made my own wish come true. I can be proud to call him my friend.- - -Aibou . . . I understand.-

8 8 8

_Before the time runs out, I _have_ to rescue Aibou and Jonouchi!_

8 8 8

-Aibou, it's too dangerous. I'll take it from here . . . Yugi, he means it! Jonouchi will kill us! Let me fight!- - -No! I'll fight to the end! Nakama . . . Other Me, I have to see this through. I made a wish on the Millennium Puzzle, a wish for a friend. Then, when I met you in my heart, I gained courage and a close friend but . . . deep in my heart, I've been thinking that aside from you, I'm still a coward just like before. I've always had this feeling, so . . . I want to use my own power to awaken Jonouchi-kun's heart. Please, wait for me, My Other Self.- - -But this game is dangerous – you could be killed!- - -I know, but I believe in Jonouchi-kun.- - - . . . all right. I won't stop you. But . . . you can't die, Other Me! Don't let yourself die!-

8 8 8

Why did Yugi take off the Millennium Puzzle? He can't handle this Duel . . . He's actually going to lose!

8 8 8

_If I take away the Millennium Puzzle, My Other Self can't change his mind. He's always protecting me. If I don't become strong on my own, he won't be able to leave my heart. I can't – I _won't_ – hold him back like that._

8 8 8

_Only four minutes left. At this rate, Jonouchi-kun and I will both go down into the sea!_

8 8 8

"Don't worry about me! Save Yugi and Jonouchi!" - _Anzu . . . no, I can't sacrifice a hostage like that. Damn Ghouls! No matter what, I have to give it a shot_. "It's Kaiba. You heard?"

8 8 8

"My . . . memory . . . ? Nnggghh . . . my . . . my memory as a Duelist . . . No! I don't want that memory, the memory of killin' my best friend!" - _Jonouchi-kun, you're fighting Malik's brainwashing! However, we're running out of time! But I'll _never_ let Jou-kun die_.

8 8 8

"Malik, I'm sure you're watching from somewhere, right? The real loser has just been decided. It wasn't me or Jonouchi-kun. It's _you!_ Even though you've put your own vengeful, disgusting memory in Jonouchi-kun's mind, he'll never succumb. He will win! There's only minutes to the end of the duel. During that time, I'll recall Jou-kun's heart. I will! Even if we're both dragged into the sea and die, Malik, your memory of failure will be in your heart forever!"

8 8 8

_With the effect of Spirit Mirror, Death Meteor is in Yugi's hands. He can choose whom to attack . . . including himself! Damn! There's no time left!_

8 8 8

"I activated Spirit Mirror to buy a little more time to finish our conversation. Because of you, Jonouchi-kun, I'm not alone anymore. You give me courage. You're my most important friend. Jonouchi-kun, as a friend, a brother . . . I love you." - "Y-yugi . . . !" - "Spirit, I am the object of Death Meteor!" - "YUGI!"

8 8 8

There! Your cuff's unlocked. I'm sorry, Yugi . . . Thank you. - "Jonouchi's key, give it to me! I'll take it down!" - "Shizuka-chan!" - "Remembers to take his Duel Disk off but can't grab his own key. He's stupid enough to be admirable. A common duelist could never do it."

8 8 8

"Yugi, I . . . I . . . Gah! I'm really sorry!" - "Don't say that, Jonouchi-kun." - "But I did this ta you!" - "We've guarded our most important thing, our friendship. That's enough." - "How can you say that? I don't remember the beginning – I was totally under his control – but gradually my consciousness came back. I knew what I was doin' but I couldn't . . . stop myself . . . An' I let my little sister down. I'm a terrible brother!" - "Jonouchi-kun . . . " - "Don't be ridiculous, Jonouchi! Shizuka is here to bring you courage." - "Ah! Shizuka, your eyes . . . " - "Yep! I've gotten a lot of courage from you. I took off my bandages, and the first thing I saw was Big Brother diving to save Yugi-san! I . . . I used to be so far away. I'm by your side now, on the encouragement of your friends. I finally . . . see you!"

8 8 8 8 8

Aibou, you showed me strength hidden within tenderness. One day, you'll surpass me in every way. When that time comes . . . The spirit pulled a deep breath, allowing a fond shake of his head, standing invisibly manifested by Yugi's side as the Shadows faded into the falling night on echoes of remembered thoughts and dialogue. He certainly looked forward to "that time." He turned for a moment to enjoy the sight of the sun setting in beautiful reds and purples over the water. No expression could convey his pride for his partner's sake in what Yugi had just accomplished with Jonouchi, though it had been hard for the spirit to remain aside and allow Yugi to do what he had needed to do. His beloved aibou could have been killed . . . But everyone was safe, now – Anzu had been released from the trap that had bound her, that had held the onlookers at bay from stopping that insane Duel. Yugi, Jonouchi, Honda and Shizuka all shivered a little with the wet chill seeping into their soaked clothes from their dives into the water to pull one another out, but they would all live. Mai and Otogi stood with them, relieved beyond measure that their friends all were safe. Even Kaiba and Mokuba –

"Yugi!"

The spirit turned to Kaiba even as Yugi did, standing apart from them as always, Mokuba by his side. "Tell your Other Self that you and your friends have given me the 'answer'."

"Kaiba-kun . . . "

"I'll be waiting at the place of the Finals." With that, he strode off, his little brother on his heels – again, as always.

Anzu breathed a sigh of relief. "Wow . . . well, now maybe things can get back on track!"

The spirit scowled. No, they cannot . . . not yet.

8 8 8 8 8

"Hey, Yug, if Malik didn't take 'em . . . " Jonouchi checked the Side Deck drawer on the underside of his Duel Disk, pulling out six clear plastic cards with golden microchips in the shapes of jigsaw puzzle pieces. "Nope, still there! I'm qualified for the Finals! What about you?"

Yugi did not answer right away, by outward appearances gazing off into space as he studied the spirit's stance and expression, knowing what was on his partner's mind. "Hm? O-oh . . . yup! Sure am."

"Well, then, let's see where we gotta go!" Jonouchi slapped the cards, one each, onto the five Monster Card Zones on his Duel Disk, slotting the last into the Field Magic Card Zone drawer that swiveled out from the end of the card platform. One of the holographic projectors fired, dropping to the pavement a few feet in front of him, the projection surface humming to life. At first, a two-dimensional road map of midtown Domino appeared, but then it zoomed in close, buildings and landscaping forming and growing, disappearing out beyond the edges of the holographic image, until the only thing in view was a single construction.

Honda frowned. "Looks like an unfinished sports stadium."

"Hey, wasn't that KaibaLand just here, to the north?" Otogi shifted to point to a spot just outside of the holographic image, on Jonouchi's left. "I know where this is. We have a supplier for the Black Crown just down the street this way."

A set of digits in bright orange burned into existence over the holographic diorama. -Seven o'clock,- Yugi observed, again turning discreetly to the spirit. -Must be the deadline to get there. That gives us two hours. That . . . should be long enough, don't you think?-

-It will have to be, or else we will simply have to come up with other ways to accomplish our other tasks – meeting Jonouchi-kun in a True Duel and recovering my memories. Aibou, you know that I made those people a promise. They do not know it, but I do. I will not dishonor myself or them by failing to fulfill that promise to the best of my ability. Even if it turns out that there is no way I can help in the face of the powers those people have, I will do what I can.-

Yugi shook his head mentally. -We will, Nakama. We will.-

The spirit nodded acknowledgement, then allowed a low, almost rueful chuckle. -Besides, I seriously doubt that Kaiba will start the Finals without us.-

-True!- Yugi snickered.

"Hey, Earth to Yugi-kun! You coming?"

Yugi jumped, turning at Mai's voice. The group had started to cross the pavement to her convertible.

Shizuka gazed at him, concern filling her soft brown eyes. "Is everything all right, Yugi-san?"

"It . . . " Yugi sighed. He could not lie to them, as much as he wanted to keep them from danger . . . further danger. "No, actually, it's not. Listen, you guys go on ahead. I'll meet you at the site. There's something I have to take care of first."

Honda scowled in a different form of concern. "Doesn't have anything to do with Urameshi and his buddies, does it?"

"Huh?" Yugi startled. "What do you mean, Honda-kun?"

"He means that Sanada Ryo from school and some of his friends were with us earlier," Otogi put in, "and said you'd been with Urameshi and a buddy of his but something had happened. They took off in a hurry."

Honda nodded, glancing at Jonouchi and Anzu. "Just like when Urameshi and the others took off on us and Mutou-Grandfather earlier this afternoon."

"They were all pretty intense," Mai commented.

Jonouchi eyed Honda in speculation for a moment, then turned. "Hey, Yug, you an' Other Yugi know what's goin' on?"

Yugi let out a breath, turning openly to the spirit, who nodded.

8 8 8 8 8

The two switched places, Yugi stepping back into his soul room, and the spirit gazed up at their dear friends. "Not the whole story, certainly, but some. Enough to know that none of you should involve yourselves." Before any could protest, he cut off the arguments with an emphatic wave. "No! You don't understand! They have . . . powers . . . the likes of which even I have never seen."

Mai crossed her arms. "A rainbow of armors, a guy that can turn a rose into a Harpy's whip, and another who can shoot ki from his fingertip like the energy blasters in science fiction movies? I told you that was no Duel."

"That . . . about covers it, or what I know of their abilities so far." The spirit could all but feel a small drop of sweat run down the side of his face. He had forgotten that Mai was with him the night before.

"Say what?" Jonouchi startled as Anzu shifted uncomfortably.

Otogi crossed his arms, shaking his head with a small smirk. "What is it about hanging out with you guys that attracts all the wrong stuff to keep life so exciting?"

"Answer that en route," Honda insisted. "Whatever's going on, we gotta find and help them!"

"I don't know that you can, Honda!" the spirit argued, then admitted with reluctance, "I'm not so sure that I can."

Jonouchi studied his friend for a moment, no doubt reading the honor-bound promise on his face. "But you're gonna try, aren't ya? An' we're gonna help, too."

"Jonouchi-kun . . . "

"Don't you 'Jonouchi-kun' me, Yugi. I know you. You know more'n you're sayin' an' ya wanna protect us – I got that part – but who's gonna back you up? I know there's two'a you in there, so you're not technically alone'r nothin', but still . . . Nuh-uh, no deal. We all go, or me, Honda, an' Otogi duct tape the both'a ya ta that lamppost over there." The threat was an empty one, but it got the point across.

The spirit caved with a heavy sigh. "I understand. We must hurry, then. The last I saw any of them, Urameshi's mind had been taken over much like yours was, and he was attacking Hashiba. That was . . . almost an hour ago." Gods, so much could have taken place in that timeframe.

Mai looked the group over with a critical eye. "If we snuggle, I can take everyone, but somebody's sitting on a lap!"

* * *

Author's Note: Please be sure to check my bio page for any updates, etc. Thanks!


	31. Chapter 31 Convergence

Author's Note: Okay . . . I have a bit of an apology to make ahead of time. Things may get confusing in a hurry. I have tried to write as clearly as I could, defining who everyone is as well as where and what they're doing. If you have any questions or can point out problem spots, please feel free to contact me. Subsequent volumes, as well as other non-related stories, will have mass battles too, so the more I can improve my narrative in this instance, the better. Thanks in advance!

Disclaimer – Yu Yu Hakusho, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and Ronin Warriors (a.k.a. Yoroiden: Samurai Troopers) and all related characters, events, and concepts belong to their respective owners. I get no monetary benefit from this. My benefit is the enjoyment of dealing with beloved characters. If you recognize him/her/it, I don't own him/her/it. If you don't recognize, I might still not be the owner but it'd be best to ask. I'd appreciate it, anyway. ((grin))

"The Spellfire Saga – 1: Shards"  
by DragonDancer5150

Chapter 31 – Convergence

Kurama, Naaza, and Hiei pounded across the soft turf of a soccer field, Shin and Shizuru hot on their heels. Quick mental queries across the Armor-links had revealed that the armor shard attacked the other two groups as well. In Seiji and Rajura's group, the same tactic had been successfully used, attempted quickly enough that no one had been warned yet: Jun was cut by a thrown, blood-smeared shard of glass, then he cut Shu who had caught him when he fell. Shu, in turn, cut Keiko before the rest could stop him. In Ryo's group, Shuten took a dagger through the palm of his hand, then turned that dagger on Yukina. Hiei nearly left his group right then and there, his inhuman speed capable of getting him to his sister in a matter of minutes. Only his trust in Kurama's judgment stayed him – Kuwabara would take the best possible care of her, as much as Hiei might not like that, and the company was moving to meet back up anyway. The sports park in the downtown area was a large, open space capable of accommodating what very easily could turn into a vicious battle, far enough away from spectating eyes not to pose a threat to passers-by, and was fairly central to everyone's locations around town.

And it had grass – lots of it.

Gaining the center of the field, Kurama turned, reaching out with his Yoki. The grass around Shizuru's and Shin's feet for a sizable swath grew upward at an impossible rate, the blades wrapping themselves around the two possessed victims. Shizuru was dragged to the ground, but Shin managed to shift into his sub-Armor, Torrent granting him more than enough strength to pull himself free. Hiei darted in to knock Shin down, and the grass began to close on him again, but not before Shin performed the hand gestures necessary to call forth the full Battle gear, his cry of summons ringing through the twilight air. "To arms! Torrent!" Bright blue energy coalesced around Shin in a shower of illusory cherry petals and flowing bolts of silken streamers. Hiei backed off a step for a moment, once again impressed in spite of himself that a mere human should wield such a force of Yoki, augmented by his own considerable Reiki. Shin ripped free of the tangling grass a second time, snatching the dagger from behind his right shoulder to parry Hiei's sword as he leveled the yari polearm against Kurama. Both youkai felt a power gathering as Kurama stepped back, Rose Whip in one hand and a blade of grass fashioned as a parrying dagger in the other.

Naaza let the two deal with the possessed Elemental as he concentrated on Shizuru, to whom he was closer, laying on her back, struggling and making gurgling noises as though the grasses were choking her. Too late, he recognized the motion as Shin tucked the haft of his yari underarm, leveling the blades horizontally at Kurama as he blocked Hiei's attacks with his dagger and forearm guard. "Kurama, move! NOW!"

"Superwave Smash!"

Kurama tried to dodge, but could not move fast enough to get out of the way of such a shockingly wide column of water-laced energy. The huge stream bursting from the end of Shin's polearm picked him up and carried him with it, pounding at him as it flowed with him clear out of the sports park. With that, the effect on the grass cancelled, and Shizuru dropped her choking feint to surprise-attack Naaza while he stood over her, kicking out the inside of his knee and dropping him to the ground.

8 8 8 8 8

Kuwabara noted his friend's involuntary relocation at the head of an impressive column of Yoki- and Reiki-laced water, but just then he had more immediate concerns, what with the small fists pounding the back of his skull, pulling hair and scratching at his scalp. Yukina had jumped on his back several city blocks ago, shrieking provocations with a delight that abhorred him to hear coming out of the shy, pure-hearted Ice Maiden. "I always wondered what it would be like to ride a wild stallion. Buck for me, baby! Buck for me!" Kuwabara knew that was not Yukina talking, and when he got his hands on Sohma – well, all right, the accursed shard controlling Sohma – Kuwabara was going to throttle him . . . it . . .

Dammit, something!

8 8 8 8 8

Ryo fared only little better even with his full Ronin Armor of the Wildfire in place, trying to keep himself between Nasutei and her mind-controlled husband who threw profanities of a different kind in addition to the attacks of the kusari-gama he had manifested along with his full Battle-Armor, the Armor of Verdance. "You know why she chose me over you, right, boy?" Ryo nearly hauled Nasutei off her feet as their momentum changed direction to avoid something flung towards them. It was Hiei, who landed in a breakfalling tumble to slam into Kuwabara's legs, Shin of the Torrent closing right behind. Ryo shifted himself and Nasutei out from between Shin and Shuten, sparing a glance beyond his fellow Elemental to see Naaza knock out Shizuru and summon his Armor of Autumn. "To arms! Harvest!"

8 8 8 8 8

Hiei rolled to his feet, nearly choking in horrified shock as Yukina gazed down at him with a carnal look in her eyes they should never have harbored! "Ooooh! I know you don't like me much – avoid direct contact with me like I'm contagious – but I think you'll find me your type after all given half a chance . . . " Hiei and Kuwabara exchanged looks of shock at her words, for once united in thought and intention – they needed to get Yukina's mind broken free! NOW!

8 8 8 8 8

"Thunderbolt Cut!"

"Leaping Darkness Slash!"

Ryo of Wildfire threw his arms around Nasutei, attempting to shield her as waves of golden-green Light and crackling Darkness shot across the soccer field, slamming into Shin of the Torrent and Shuten of Verdance, knocking them both off their feet. Rajura's group had joined the fray. Ryo nodded brief thanks to Seiji of the Halo and Anubisu of the Glacier as they pounded across the turf, Naaza of the Harvest shifting to join them. Rajura of AridSand had already turned to engage Shu of HardRock. Ryo grimaced as he noted that Jun and the girl Keiko were nowhere to be seen . . . and what had become of her boyfriend Urameshi, and his own teammate Touma of the Heavens? Movement back to his left caught his attention, and he turned to see Kuwabara drop to his knees as Hiei sheathed his sword to wrestle the Ice Maiden off the tall human's back. As a consequence, no one noted Shizuru recover, finding Shin's discarded dagger as she pulled herself to her knees.

8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8

"Damn but that's a tale for you if I ever heard one!" Otogi shook his head in bewilderment, looking as though he could not be sure he had managed to follow it all. "Armors that form out of shooting marbles, an honest-to-gods ferry girl, four-hundred-year-old humans, a human that's actually a fifteen-hundred-year-old fox spirit, one that's not a human at all . . . and all of them went to the Underworld last night after some freaky fight for a chat with the son of Emperor Enma himself? And then they all happen to show up again today in time to witness you win one of the legendary God Cards?"

Anzu sighed. "Yep, sounds like that about covers everything."

"When did we turn off the freeway into Comic-Book Land?" Honda groaned.

Jonouchi nodded. "Sure sounds like some really bad comic book, don't it, bro?"

The spirit had fallen silent for a moment, taking the chance to sweep out again with his Shadow powers focused through the Millennium Puzzle. If there were a fight taking place, even with half the energy involved that he had sensed the night before, he figured that he must be able to pick it up, but so far . . . nothing. He tensed at Honda's arms tightening around him as Mai swerved to avoid being hit by an idiot running a red light, resolutely not letting himself be overtly bothered by his embarrassing position, sitting on his friend's lap like a small child. It had been the only way Mai could fit everyone in her car – Jonouchi, Anzu, and Otogi squeezed in across the back seat with Shizuka in her brother's lap, while Honda held Yugi's body in the front seat with him, Yugi's soul withdrawn to let the spirit utilize the Puzzle directly, as an amplifier. Whatever it takes, regardless of . . . personal indignity . . . The spirit shifted for the dozen-th time.

"Ya know," Jonouchi ventured, his tone quiet, "I think Urameshi even tried ta warn me 'bout Malik when he left this afternoon. Remember, Honda?"

"Yeah, Jou, I remember – said there were a lot of nutcases in town and to watch your back."

The spirit gasped suddenly as a mental timetable snapped into place. "Jonouchi, you said Urameshi and the others left shortly after lunch, right? And you guys ate around one?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"The reason they left you is because their friends on the bridge over the waterway knew that Malik was about to summon Osiris the Sky Dragon against me. They didn't remember an appointment! They were called to meet up through whatever communications those armors afford the users. It was just after Osiris's appearance on the Dueling field that their entire company, or close to it, gathered together up there."

Otogi frowned. "But then they split back up again? Why? Come on – strength in numbers, man. Everyone knows that!"

Mai spared an instant from watching the road to cast a sidelong glance at her shotgun passengers. "And you say these people knew something about that guy and his goons that are after you even before that nonsense on the hotel roof?" The spirit nodded. "And you still think their enemy isn't related to yours?"

"I do. The entity controlling Urameshi specifically commented that he didn't know about Malik's ability to control people until Malik took over Lumis, and that he would be after Malik's power after he had gathered all of the 'pieces of arago' . . . whatever an arago is."

Shizuka had been listening in silence, but a soft gasp escaped her at that. "Wait, Yugi-san, I . . . I think I know that name. It's not a what, but a who."

The spirit shifted around on Honda's lap to meet the girl's gaze. "What do you mean?"

"Arago! That was the name of a youkai – a-a demon – in mythology. The story's an obscure one, but I've always loved old myths and folktales. There were magic armors in that story, too!"

"Go on," the spirit encouraged.

Shizuka's eyes dropped, the attention making her self-conscious. "Well, I-I don't know if there's any relation or not, but there's a story of a powerful youkai named Arago who tried to take over the Human World a thousand years ago. He almost succeeded, too, but was finally beaten by a warrior monk. The monk knew he'd return one day, though, so he forged mystical armors based on the five elements, then hid them away until Arago's return."

"Oh, gods," Anzu breathed, her words barely audible.

"Whoa, hey – you all right?"

Anzu glanced at Otogi, her face pale as his arm slid around her shoulders in comfort. "N-no . . . I-I don't think so."

"Honda?" The spirit had felt his friend tense at the same instant.

"Guys, you are not gonna believe this . . . but I had dreams about stuff like that a while back, and not just once, but recurring nightmares over a couple of weeks – only they were never quite the same twice. There were a bunch of armors with magic powers, and this huge armored demon with a red facemask and long white hair."

Anzu was nodding, her face devoid of color. "And . . . and an endless sea of soldiers that were nothing more than empty armors . . . "

"WHAT?"

If not for the seatbelt holding the two together, Honda would have dumped Yugi's body into Mai's lap by accident, so hastily did he twist to look at Anzu.

The spirit clutched at Honda's shoulder and braced on the back of Mai's seat to further prevent it. "Honda!"

Honda did not hear him. "You had the same nightmares!"

Anzu nodded, hugging herself at the remembered horrors.

Jonouchi nodded at Honda. "I remember you tellin' me 'bout that."

"This is the first I've heard of it," the spirit murmured with a frown.

Jonouchi shook his head. "Nah, that's cuz you wasn't awake yet. This was last summer, before Yug solved the Millennium Puzzle."

And that had been . . . late September? The spirit could not really remember.

-I remember,- Yugi murmured, standing at the door of his soul room, his arms loosely wrapped around him at the memories that still hurt a little, even a year later. -It had been a Monday. The twenty-seventh, I think. Heh, come to think of it, then, the anniversary of solving the Puzzle is coming up in a few weeks. Maybe we should celebrate. Oh! And we missed Bakura-kun's birthday! It was Thursd- !- Yugi bapped himself on the forehead with the knuckles of one fist. -Bakura! Nakama, ask Otogi-kun to call Grandpa at the hospital and see how he's doing!-

The spirit did and Otogi pulled out his cell phone, getting the ward and room number from Patient Information, but there was no answer. The group agreed that they hoped it was just a matter of Mutou-Grandfather having gotten the munchies and stepped out to find a vending machine, or perhaps a bathroom . . . but none could shake the nagging feeling of dread that settled throughout the car in light of all the other bad and bizarre news they had fielded over the course of the day.

Mai turned another corner, driving into the general vicinity of the unfinished stadium for lack of better options, and jumped in surprise at the deep gasp from the seat next to her. The spirit ignored her questioning look for a moment as he swept out with Shadow energies to make sure, but there could be no mistake – they had just driven within sensing range of a massive amount and variety of energies. "Mai, that way!"

"How bad is it?" Otogi wanted to know.

The spirit grimaced, still looking down into the footwell as he concentrated, both hands gripping the Puzzle. "Most of it is not in direct use . . . yet, though I sense an alarming level of potential. The sources are widely scattered but closing on one another fast. Put it all together at what I might guess to be full power? Chh, we could probably light the entire city for a week." He lifted his gaze to the street. "What's down there?"

Honda shrugged. "Not much, not in the immediate area. There's a big sports park on the other side of that old apartment building, I think."

"Mai, look out! Hard right!" The spirit sensed – and heard – the coming threat before it was visible.

Just then, a stream of high-pressure water like that from an impossibly huge firehose crashed out through the building, spraying the car and its occupants as Mai veered out of harm's way at the last instant, the stream depositing a broken mess of debris in its wake. Mai noted her shotgun passenger fumbling with his and Honda's seatbelt before she had fully stopped the car. "Yugi!"

"There's someone in there!" The buckle came free with a click, and the spirit hopped the car door, black boots hitting the wet pavement at a run. He dropped to his knees, set aside his Duel Disk, and tugged off the school uniform jacket, sticking his hands back into the sleeves to protect them as he dug through shattered glass, plaster, metal, and scraps of furniture to find a mass of red hair underneath. "Oh, gods, no!"

"What? You recognize him?" Jonouchi queried as the others caught up a second later.

Mai gave a small gasp as further digging revealed the face of the unconscious teen. "That's the kid from last night, the one with Harpy's Rosewhip who tried to cover the fight as a tournament Duel. He's the one with the fox spirit, right?"

Honda dropped down next to his injured peer, feeling for a carotid heartbeat. "He's still alive . . . miraculously." He looked up at the new hole through the apartment building, thinking, as they all were, of the two outer walls and gods-only-knew-how-many interior walls this poor guy had been blasted through. And what the hells was that?

"Kurama," the spirit murmured, Yugi remembering the name a heartbeat before he could. "His name is Kurama." He shook his head, recalling fierce ageless eyes from earlier that afternoon as the fox-spirit-turned-human had sworn to him at the waterway that his friends would be safe if it could be at all helped. I've no doubt you and your friends did what you could . . . and now it is my turn. The spirit growled silently as he raised his eyes to the hole in the building, then down to the street-level exterior door. The stairwell within probably had a door on either side of the building, which equated to a shortcut to the sports park on the other side. "Everyone, stay here with Kurama. Jonouchi-kun, bring your Duel Disk and your Deck and come with me. I have an idea, and I think I'm going to need your help."

8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8

On the roof of another building, a lone figure in midnight-blue Armor leveled a golden bow with three arrows nocked. A sapphire gaze studied the chosen targets as the bow came up to eye-level, the triplet missiles aimed with supernatural precision. The string-hand drew, fingertips brushing the cheek guard of the helm, attention focusing just briefly on the arrowheads that dripped blood from the ragged gash across the young man's jaw. Then, sapphire eyes readjusted, locking again onto the next blood victims as breath stopped momentarily and fingers eased free of the bowstring.

Touma of the Heavens rarely missed.

* * *

Author's Note: Please be sure to check my bio page for any updates, etc. Thanks!


	32. Chapter 32 Under the Influence

Disclaimer – Yu Yu Hakusho, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and Ronin Warriors (a.k.a. Yoroiden: Samurai Troopers) and all related characters, events, and concepts belong to their respective owners. I get no monetary benefit from this. My benefit is the enjoyment of dealing with beloved characters. If you recognize him/her/it, I don't own him/her/it. If you don't recognize, I might still not be the owner but it'd be best to ask. I'd appreciate it, anyway. ((grin))

"The Spellfire Saga – 1: Shards"  
by DragonDancer5150

Chapter 32 – Under the Influence

Only the warning jolt from his Armor allowed Naaza to react fast enough, parrying a golden arrow before his mind could fully comprehend what had come at him. Beside him, Seiji could spare him only a glance as he successfully backpedaled out of the way of an arrow meant for him, unable to bring his great no-dachi to bear in time to stop it altogether, which allowed it to slam home into Anubisu instead, the Warrior of Winter stumbling back and clutching his arm with a grunt. Seiji had backed up into someone, however, and before he could turn to see who, the heel of a hand struck the back edge of his helm, popping it up and forward over his face – not by much, but just enough to expose the back of his neck, where a sharp prick stabbed at the base of his skull, followed by a ravaging, spreading agony, and then blackness.

8 8 8 8 8

Hiei's mind registered the sight from the corner of his eye – Shizuru had successfully crept up behind Seiji with a blood-limned dagger – but not before he himself was already moving in another direction. A third arrow had flown into their midst simultaneous with the other two. It might have been meant for him, Kuwabara, Yukina, even Ryo beyond them, but Hiei was not taking any chances. The men might have been able to take it, but if it hit his sister . . .

8 8 8 8 8

Kuwabara had half-crouched as Hiei tried to help pull the surprisingly strong Ice Maiden from his back. The next instant, he was on his side in the grass, he and Yukina tackled down completely as Hiei shoved them aside, then was knocked off his feet and down at those of Ryo and Nasutei, pinned to the ground by a long, golden arrow through his shoulder.

8 8 8 8 8

"Hiei-san!" Nasutei gasped. She wanted to go to the youkai's aid, but Ryo's arm keeping her behind him discouraged it, and she hardly dared to do so anyway with Shin and her husband shaking off the attacks from their teammates and climbing back to their feet.

8 8 8 8 8

Kuwabara finally succeeded in pulling free of Yukina, pinning her on her back on the ground, but when she grinned wickedly at him with a "You know I like it rough," he jumped up off of her with a cry of denial. It was only then that his eyes found Anubisu, who had paused a moment, glaze-eyed, before he pulled an arrow out of his arm without so much as a flinch, and Seiji, who's face had screwed up in struggle and pain for a moment before falling almost blank, glancing back at Shizuru with a nod. Hiei struggled in vain for a moment to sit up, not fully cognizant yet of the cause of his inability to do so, his eyes glassy like the others'. Ah, man! This is so not cool! Where's Urameshi when ya need him? Huh, looks like Rajura just pinned Shu with some kinda big spiderweb attack . . . but which one's the one still on our side? I can't even tell anymore!

8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8

Golden bow lowered, Touma paused to reassess the situation before unsheathing more arrows. Not all of his attacks had been completely successful, but ultimately the job had been accomplished. Out of nine Armor bearers, only three still eluded control. They were too far spread at this point even for him to attempt another triple attack, but he could always pick them off one at a time. Even this great distance was well within his expert range. His right hand rose up and over his shoulder as an arrow sprang from the quiver at his mental command, but he did not manage to catch it, tugged sideways off-balance unexpectedly.

His bow had jerked downward out of his left hand!

Touma looked down just in time as his bow, a claw of flickering Darkness gripping it from beneath, disappeared right into his own shadow. A voice floated up to him, low and dangerous.

"This is not rightfully yours."

8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8

Nasutei watched Hiei grasp the mystical arrow in his shoulder, snap it with only moderate effort, and sit up, Shuten helping him the rest of the way to his feet as Shin leveled his yari on her and Ryo, his own blood coating the blades. Ryo had pulled his second katana, holding both swords crossed before him, but then something –a shock of warning from his Armor, she guessed – had him turning to wrap his arms around her and drop to the ground over her just as a cry of "SPIRIT GUN!" rang in her ears.

She managed not to scream as the blue-white power crackled around them, the Armor of the Wildfire taking the brunt of the attack. A heartbeat later, a cry of surprise, denial, and fear did escape her as arms wrapped her from underneath and pulled downward, she barely hearing Ryo gasp her name before the earth swallowed her whole. She felt solid ground beneath her again after a momentary scrambling of her senses through some sort of shadows and swirls of energy, and looked up at a humanoid shape of flickering Darkness crouched over her. She spotted the night sky beyond but only for a second before a field of some kind, close overhead, obscured it. Red-glowing eyes found hers, and she could sense the smirk on the indiscernible face, the voice alien and thickly accented but clearly feminine.

"Such a tender little morsel has no business being in a place like that. I will come back for you later. Oh, and . . . guard this for me, will you?" The figure sank back down into the shadow on the ground and was gone.

Nasutei lay frozen for a moment longer, gazing up at the smoky-gray bubble encasing her, before she shifted to see what "this" was – and gasped. A golden recurve bow lay in the grass by her fingers, the arms folded back along the spine. Oh, gods! But . . . what did that mean? Where was Touma, then? She had to get out of the force field before whatever-that-was came back for her. Taking up the folded bow in both hands, she began to beat in vain on the wall of her shadowy prison.

8 8 8 8 8

Jonouchi stood at one end of the soccer field, taking in the sight before him, and whistled softly to himself. Man, oh man, whadda mess! Wish I knew who was free an' who was under mind control. Oh, good. There's Keiko an' Jun, getting' Shu outta that . . . silly-string goopy stuff. Was probably that big pink spider-armor-guy that did it, I bet. He looked down at the Duel Disk on his arm, his trusted Deck in place in the Deck slot – though the device would not be powered up until he got the signal from his partner – then turned his eyes far to his left where a small figure crept through the night's shadows along the fence, just outside of the soccer field. Other Yugi, I really hope you know what you're doin'.

8 8 8 8 8

So do I.

The Shadows already playing about him, the spirit had heard his close friend's concern. He had no reason to believe the plan would not work, however, or at least prove somewhat helpful. He just hoped he could get to the other end of the field, opposite his Dueling "opponent," before a stray shot from the fighters took him down. He was not at all sure Yugi's body could withstand even a glancing blow from some of their attacks, even though the aura of his own energies playing invisibly about it offered a layer of fairly decent protection when he was in full possession of the body.

-I'm willing to risk it if you are, Nakama. I don't think our friends are doing too – ? What was that?-

The spirit had felt it as well, an activation of Shadow power just to their left and ahead of them, in front of the concession stand. His supernatural nightvision easily spotted the deeper bubble of Darkness in the shadows, with something moving inside. He shifted his course to investigate, recognizing the muted face behind the shifting, smoke-like surface as he drew up close. He remembered her as one of the ones who had come to him at the waterway. From the look in her eyes, she could see him but did not recognize him. Probably she could see the shape outside of her prison but no more. He crouched down behind the bubble, out of sight – and the line of fire – of the fighters on the soccer field as he studied it, unwilling to pass on and leave the woman in her prison. He laid a tentative hand on the bubble's surface, "tasting" its essence. There was no doubt – this was indeed forged of Shadow energy. Besides himself, he knew of only two people who could wield the deadly forces of the Shadow Realm, and the thought of either of them here, adding to this mess, did not sit well with him at all. Damn it! Urameshi and the others, they don't need this too!

A sensation itched at him from the case on his hip, a sudden hyper-awareness of his Deck. He felt the need to draw a card, now, before he was in place for his plan with Jonouchi. His Duelist's instincts and his Deck had never failed him before. He pulled the Deck from the case, then slotted it in his Duel Disk and drew the top card in a single motion, without even activating the Disk first. He was not fully aware that he had crouched with a thick twig underfoot, but when he moved to slot the Deck and draw, the shift of his weight caused the branch to roll under the sole of his boot just enough to throw his balance off a bit, and he found himself attempting to catch himself on the surface of the bubble with the hand holding the drawn card, touching card to bubble.

Energy flashed, the spirit feeling Shadows drawn from the Puzzle and himself to empower the spell, and the force field dropped. Before he could quite comprehend what had just happened, something thick, gold, and heavy was swinging for his skull. "GAH!" He threw himself back, arms braced over his head, as the woman cocked her arms back for another try, pausing uncertainly when she seemed to recognize the boy on the ground beside her.

"Y-you . . . "

"Yes, me! It's Yugi. Will you put that down! I'm not going to hurt you, I promise."

The woman hesitated a moment longer, meeting his gaze with a critical eye as though to assure herself that he was not one of those possessed. Finally, she sat back, lowering her weapon. "S-sorry. My name is Nasutei Yagyu. Thank you."

"My pleasure," the spirit grunted as he turned to relocate the card he had drawn and subsequently dropped. It lay facedown in the grass. Grabbing and flipping it, he gasped. It was a spell card – Curse Breaker, one of his and Yugi's oldest cards. A more recent booster release had renamed it De-Spell. "Destroy 1 Spell Card on the field. If this card's target is facedown, flip it face-up. If the card is a Spell Card, it is destroyed. If not, it is returned to its facedown position. The flipped card is not activated."

The spirit could only gape for a moment as the implications of what had just happened sank in. His Duel Monsters card had successfully broken a spell that was Shadow-born, but was not the doing of another spell card active in conjunction to a Duel!

Or had the Shadow Game already begun?

Alarmed and not sure what to make of this, the spirit cursed under his breath, shoving to his feet and pulling the woman up with him. "Follow me." To her credit, she did so without question. He bolted for the far end of the field, switching on his Duel Disk and waving for Jonouchi to do the same, pausing just long enough to grip and activate the Millennium Puzzle, unfurling his Shadow powers in full force to sweep across the field, engulfing everything and everyone between him and his nominal "opponent." Gods above and below, please let this work!

8 8 8 8 8

Ryo had rolled to his knees, parrying off Shin's attack with one sword and catching the chain of Shuten's kusari-gama around the other, beginning to sweat as Anubisu and Yusuke drew nearer, closing on his flanks. He gasped in alarm as clouds of purple-black vaporous energy rolled across the field, engulfing everyone. He could not see beyond their borders but, strangely enough, he could still see well enough within them. Seiji had moved off with Shizuru to deal with Rajura, who had Shu, Keiko, and Jun threatening him from behind. He winced at the continued verbal taunting as Yukina kept Kuwabara busy so that Hiei could concentrate on Naaza, distracting the Warrior of Autumn while Touma crept up unnoticed from behind. Then, beyond all of them, a new figure across the field caught Ryo's eye, and he frowned, wondering what the blonde in the tastefully-scant purple outfit thought she was doing.

8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8

"Big-Brother, I think you want to see this."

Kaiba stood in the center of the half-finished stadium that was the meeting place for the Finals. He turned at his brother's voice, eyes locking with those of the boy sitting in the open belly of the helicopter behind him, Kaiba's briefcase on his lap. "What is it, Mokuba?"

"You asked to be alerted if any unusual activity took place, especially regarding Yugi or Jonouchi. Both of their Duel Disks have just become active . . . looks like against each other!"

"Again!" Kaiba gaped, the exclamation escaping him before he could catch it.

Mokuba nodded. "Apparently. Maybe that Malik guy's hold on Jonouchi wasn't broken like Yugi thought it was." He looked back at the screen, frowning at the additional information. "Looks like there's some interference in the Dueling field between them. No, make that a LOT of interference – moving obstructions and a lot of unidentifiable energy signatures. Huh? Hang on! Kujaku Mai's Duel Disk just came online, too! In the same location."

"What's going on?" Kaiba growled, more concerned than he cared to admit. "Where is this?" Yugi, what the hells have you gotten yourself into this time? I can't turn my back on you for a minute before another nutcase –

Mokuba shrugged at the first question, but he could answer the second. "Togashi Sports Park, just down the street from here."

Isono, one of the few men in his employment that Kaiba actually felt he could truly trust, was already out of the cockpit and moving to serve. "I'll start the limo, Kaiba-sama."

* * *

Author's Note: Please be sure to check my bio page for any updates, etc. Thanks!


	33. Chapter 33 A Whole New Game

Disclaimer – Yu Yu Hakusho, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and Ronin Warriors (a.k.a. Yoroiden: Samurai Troopers) and all related characters, events, and concepts belong to their respective owners. I get no monetary benefit from this. My benefit is the enjoyment of dealing with beloved characters. If you recognize him/her/it, I don't own him/her/it. If you don't recognize, I might still not be the owner but it'd be best to ask. I'd appreciate it, anyway. ((grin))

"The Spellfire Saga – 1: Shards"  
by DragonDancer5150

Chapter 33 – A Whole New Game

Mai had no idea if it would work, but if she understood Yugi's – or whoever that truly was in Yugi-kun's head right now – plan correctly, she would certainly step up to the plate and help. She could hardly consider herself a True Duelist and not do so. Duel Disk powered up and five cards drawn and ready, she had moved to put herself about centerfield on the opposite side from the concession stand. That way, she could form a triangle – heh, a pyramid, if you will, she thought with a wry smirk – with Jonouchi at one end and Yugi at the other . . . and all the living combatants in between.

8 8 8 8 8

Unwilling to let their friends go into harm's way without them, Honda had thrown the one Other Yugi had named Kurama over his shoulder and followed the Duelists into the park along with Anzu, Otogi, and Shizuka, the four hanging back with their unconscious charge in the end zone near the soccer goal while Mai continued on. Mai had seemed to think Other Yugi's plan was to use his and Jonouchi's own Monsters, spells, and traps to confuse their friends' opponents, the Solid Vision holograms manifesting at least "real enough" to be somewhat effective in that endeavor. But now that they were here, Honda saw one small problem with that – a lack of any obvious opponents, just their friends fighting each other! This so did not bode well . . .

"There's got to be a way we can help!" Anzu fretted beside him, then gasped. "Otogi-kun, do you have your Deck on you?" Without waiting for an answer, she grabbed his arm, nearly hauling him off his feet. "Honda-kun, Shizuka-chan, stay here and support the guys. Otogi-kun, follow me."

"Anzu-san!" Shizuka protested, but Anzu was already bolting back for the apartment complex, a confused Otogi hot on her heels just as Other Yugi was standing up with the woman in front of the concession stand.

8 8 8 8 8

Jonouchi did not even wait for Other Yugi to get fully into position, pulling his starting hand cards while his best friend and the woman with him climbed the fence. Their buddies needed them now! "A'right, Yug. Let's do this! My turn, draw!" He pulled and added the new card to his hand, scowling as the red-armored one's assailants ganged up and tackled him to the ground. Damn! Gotta do somethin', but what? The spell card Salamandra caught his eye. "A FIRE monster equipped with this card increases its ATK by 700 points." Jonouchi considered it. A 700-point boost ta Attack strength is good – real good! – but I can't play a game card on a real person . . . can I? Something in the back of his mind, his Duelist's instincts, pounded at him in spite of his misgivings. Well, won't know till I try, huh? Here goes nothin'! "I play one Defense Monster, an' one facedown, plus I activate Salamandra an' equip it t- . . . ah . . . to . . . " Jonouchi swallowed, shaking his head as he realized that he did not know the guy's name. " – ta Mister-Fire-red-Armor-Guy!" Man, this'd better work!

8 8 8 8 8

Ryo choked in shock as power filled him, energizing his Armor and sending flames leaping down the lengths of his twin Swords of Wildfire. All four assailants were thrown back by the power surge, the coils of chain of Shuten's kusari-gama shattering from around his arm. "What the hells – ?" He glanced around, spotting Jonouchi Katsuya several dozen yards away gaping back at him in shock. What's he doing here? He'll get himself killed! Are the others here, too?

8 8 8 8 8

We are indeed, Sanada Ryo, the spirit assured him, though I can only hope we can be of assistance! Shadows, hear me! Hear my cry! He had asked Jonouchi to "play" opposite him so that he could be sure the Duel Disks would respond, not certain that he could get the programs to activate and the holograms to appear without the system first registering a discernable opponent. Still, his "actual" opponents would not be Jonouchi's Monsters. If he called his own Monsters to move against Urameshi and some of the others, he knew that the voice-activated Dueling program would not recognize the commands, the "Monster" names unlocatable in the card library of the gaming system . . . but he had seen, had sensed, a level of self-awareness in his and others' Monsters. He had suspected as much since clear back during some of the fights of Duelist Kingdom, but it was the Duel yesterday afternoon against Pandora that had decided him without a doubt that what he had observed was far from merely his own wishful imagination.

The spirit had seen the look on Pandora's Dark Magician's face upon hearing the words of his master, words of contempt and dismissal, of expendability, of how the Monsters heeded only power and domination, responding best to force and fear. The spirit had been disgusted to listen to it, but he was equally shocked to see the red-robed magician turn and look over his shoulder at Pandora in horror and betrayal, a completely autonomous gesture quite separate from the game mechanics of the mindless computer program that supposedly had generated him and controlled his actions. Then, there was the self-sacrifice of his own purple-robed Dark Magician, who gave up his soul to the heinous spell in play by their opponent, so that he could throw himself in the way of the attack that would have zeroed his summoner's life points and finished the lethal trap that held him. Neither the spirit nor Yugi could ignore that act, nor the sensations from their "monster," expressions of protectiveness, devotion, and eternal trust.

And Dark Magician's display was only the most obvious of a long string of clues.

No matter what others might say, the spirit knew that there was a sensate awareness in the Monsters of his Deck, however that may have come to be. He would have to explore it later and now merely accept and trust it, rely on the fact that the Monsters themselves would know the intention of their summoner's heart and respond, regardless of whether a command made sense within, or broke, the rules of the Duel Monsters Trading Card Game.

"My turn – draw! I play Big Shield Guardna in Defense Mode!" The spirit set the card, face up and turned sideways, a matching card hologram followed by his stalwart Monster materializing before him. He heard the woman Nasutei gasp, still clutching the golden artifact – he could sense the power within it, reminiscent of what he felt from the various Armors, and wondered if it was one of her friends' weapons. "Nasutei, stay behind me. Big Shield Guardna will protect us." He pulled another card from his hand, slotting it into the inner edge of his Duel Disk. This one should buy them some time and tell them exactly who was and who was not possessed . . . he hoped. "I activate the spell card Swords of Revealing Light!"

8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8

"Anzu, stop, will you?" Otogi gasped as they hit the sidewalk in front of the apartment building. "At least tell me what we're doing out here."

Anzu's eyes scanned up and down the street. "Looking for Duel Disks – or at least, looking for people who will lend us – !" She gasped at the sight of a long, imposing black car rounding a corner at the next block down, headed their way.

"Oh, you mean like maybe him?" Otogi did not even attempt to keep the wry sarcasm from his voice, also spotting the limousine with the unmistakable "KCORP 04" on the license plate.

Anzu could only gape for a moment, then recovered herself. No, of course, it was no coincidence. It never was when it came to people coming together as needed around Yugi and Other Yugi. That was part of the power of the Millennium Puzzle, the power of unity. And no one was more deeply caught in that web than Kaiba Seto, whether he would acknowledge that fact or not.

The car stopped and door opened. Kaiba stood, Duel Disk on his left arm as though it belonged there, permanently attached – it would not surprise Anzu in the least were she ever to find out that he had had such a thing done – and looked down at the pair. "Chh, you two. So, where's the rest of the Geek Squad?" Even as he asked, his eyes darted to the right, noting Mai's blue convertible.

Anzu elbowed Otogi before he could retort, biting back her own reaction to Kaiba's ever-insulting attitude. "Back that way, in a soccer field on the other side of the building. Kaiba-kun, you don't happen to have two spare Duel Disks, do you?"

Kaiba snorted. "You are not a Duelist, Anzu."

Anzu's fists clenched, but she knew that he was right. "Not one of your caliber, no, but . . . Look, there's no time to explain! Do you or don't you?"

"Anzu!"

8 8 8 8 8

Otogi's grip on her arm spun her around even as his yelp interrupted Kaiba's response. All three stared in shock as shaped beams of light suddenly blinked into existence in the sky high above and behind the apartment building, hovering for only a heartbeat before shooting groundward.

"Tell me this is 'just' a tournament Duel!" Kaiba groaned, recognizing the spell, then shook his head and leaned back down into the limo. "Mokuba!"

"Here you go!" Mokuba held up a Duel Disk, another on his lap and a third spare at his feet.

Anzu handed the first to Otogi, accepting the second for herself with a small bow of astonished appreciation. "Thank you, Mokuba-kun, Kaiba-kun. Come on!" she ordered Otogi, then took off without a backwards glance, trusting her friend to follow.

Kaiba hesitated only a moment. "Mokuba, stay here. Isono, Fubeta, make sure he stays safe. This shouldn't take more than a few minutes." With that, he bolted after the other two, slotting his Deck and switching on the Disk as he ran.

8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8

Kurama shifted and murmured, coming to slowly as he rose through a haze of pain, flinching at the sensation of a powerful spell in the casting. He opened his eyes to see an alarming sight – numerous giant sword-shapes of pure golden energy rained down from a canopy of purple-black clouds, illuminating the entire field as though it were daylight as they partially buried themselves tips-first into the ground around the majority of those out on the soccer field. He shoved to a sitting position, instantly regretting it as a wave of nausea threatened to overtake him.

A girl in her early teens had been crouched next to him, turning soft brown eyes his way at the sound and motion. "Oh, you're awake!" She shifted to support him. "Careful! You're still hurt, Kurama-san. Please don't move."

The young man standing guard over them turned as well, pulling his gaze from the battle. "Dude! You got blown through a whole freaking building! You shouldn't even be alive, let alone awake." He dropped to his knees beside Kurama. "Name's Honda Hiroto. This is Jonouchi Shizuka. Hey, listen – you gonna be okay?"

Kurama nodded, wincing at the pain it caused even as his body settled and adjusted, accepting the injuries and preparing to keep going in spite of them. The battle, after all, was far from over.

8 8 8 8 8

Naaza relaxed his stance slightly, noting the mysterious energy blades had left him alone even as they closely hemmed and seemed to paralyze Hiei, who had proven a nearly impossibly fast opponent even for the Warrior of Autumn, who prided himself on his ability to fight with such swiftness that he could make his two arms seem like six. He stepped back to take stock of the situation, spotting Touma for the first time – Crap! Where'd you come from? And . . . where's your bow? – then turning to see who else the spell had left free. Gods, is that it? Just me, Rajura, Wildfire, an' that Kuwabara guy . . . Not good.

8 8 8 8 8

Jonouchi, too, was more than a bit surprised – and relieved. Perhaps Other Yugi's plan would work after all. The spell was designed to bind all of the opponent's Monsters – but while it bound most of those on the field, it had left Jonouchi's facedown Defense-positioned Monster card alone, which meant that whatever power was in play recognized him as an ally, and he could count on his Monsters and spells being able to back up his buddy.

8 8 8 8 8

Kurama saw Ryo whirl on the spirit. "Hey, Pharaoh, what did you do to them?"

"Nothing harmful, I promise," the spirit called back, "but we don't have much time! The spell only lasts three game turns . . . how long that will mean for us now, I cannot say! What's going on? Who is controlling them?"

Kurama pushed to his knees, motioning for Honda to help him stand. "There is some kind of blood magic at work, Pharaoh-sama, originated by an ancient and powerful relic that has possessed a human host through an antique suit of samurai armor."

"Blood magic? Are you sure?" Ryo demanded.

"Eww . . . " Kuwabara muttered.

Kurama had managed to regain his balance and some of his strength by then, confident that he was recovered enough to fight if necessary. He pushed off of Honda with a nod of thanks and started across the field toward Ryo and Kuwabara. "I am. The control is passed on by the drawing and mixing of blood, even if only a little. As for how to break the enchantment, however, I'm afraid I do not know, short of defeating the one responsible." He glanced back at Jonouchi, then focused across the field to the comely blonde woman – she set a facedown card and summoned a tall, powerful Amazon female even as she listened – and finally the spirit, as he drew close to Ryo. "If possible, do not harm the one wearing the samurai armor. He is no more responsible for his actions than our friends currently are for theirs. The key will be to remove the breastplate from his body. However, none of the Ronin Warriors can do it, because it is they whom the relic is after and will try to control them through that direct contact."

"De Ramen Whatzits?" Jonouchi wondered aloud, looking again at the varied fighters on the field, almost absently setting another facedown for his "turn."

"Ronin Warriors," Rajura corrected with a groan.

Ryo waved. "That would be us in the Armors, Jonouchi-san!" He visibly refrained from adding "moron," though barely.

Kurama started to say more, but a warning cry from the blonde Duelist usurped importance at that moment.

"Yugi-kun, behind you!"

8 8 8 8 8

The spirit had sensed the threat even before Mai's shout, twisting to face the new opponent as he pulled Nasutei behind him once more. A teen in ancient samurai armor loomed over him, wakizashi raised even as he held his free hand out, dark energies gathering in preparation to strike. The spirit retreated to press himself and Nasutei back-to-back with his Monster, but Big Shield Guardna was moving on his own, spinning around to pull his master into protection behind him as he thrust his huge shield into the path of the attack. Crackling energy washed over the shield, and Guardna grimaced as he braced, then spared a glance at his summoner as though to make sure he was all right.

The spirit nodded, pulling a spell from his hand cards. "Thank you, Guardna. Activate magic card, Exile of the Wicked!" "_Destroys all face-up Fiend-Type monsters on the field_," read the card text. He had no idea whether or not it would do anything – how did one tell if a non-card opponent was a Fiend, or any other Monster type! – but it was all he had in his hand to attempt, hoping it would remove and banish the breastplate. He noted with dismay as pain twisted the young man's face, free hand clutching at his chest. _No! Damn . . ._ The spirit had not wanted to hurt _him_!

Nasutei stepped forward, calling to the young man on the off-chance that the disruption had freed him from the armor shard's control, however briefly. "Sohma-kun? Sohma-kun, can you hear me?"

Sohma was crying out in agony and those in the shard's control answered, screams ringing out across the field from the Swords-bound fighters. Then, the armor disappeared with its bearer.

The spirit looked around in alarm. "What? Where did he go?" He feared his spell might have been too much, destroying the armor and its human host with it. _Gods, no!_

"Probably teleported again!" Nasutei huffed, looking both annoyed by the cowardly flight and scared for the poor boy caught in the middle of this whole mess. "He's bound to be around somewh-!"

Just then, the energy swords vanished, the possessed fighters whooping in united triumph.

"Oh, no," Nasutei breathed, still clutching the folded bow to her and huddling close behind the spirit's guardian. "Now what do we do?"

The spirit wished he could answer that.

* * *

Author's Note: Please be sure to check my bio page for any updates, etc. Thanks!


	34. Chapter 34 Consolidating Efforts

Hey, everyone! So, confusing enough so far? ((sheepish)) It occurred to me as I was writing that not all the characters know all the other characters' names yet, so different POV's wound up referring to some of the same groupings of action in different ways – by name (both personal and family), by appearance/clothing/Armor, by weapons wielded. So, at the end of the chapter, I've included a quick run-down of each character and the descriptions by which other characters identified them when their names were unknown to the POV character. My apologies for any confusion, but I couldn't think of how better to handle it. I've also included weapon descriptions for those not familiar.

Disclaimer – Yu Yu Hakusho, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and Ronin Warriors (a.k.a. Yoroiden: Samurai Troopers) and all related characters, events, and concepts belong to their respective owners. I get no monetary benefit from this. My benefit is the enjoyment of dealing with beloved characters. If you recognize him/her/it, I don't own him/her/it. If you don't recognize, I might still not be the owner but it'd be best to ask. I'd appreciate it, anyway. ((grin))

"The Spellfire Saga – 1: Shards"  
by DragonDancer5150

Chapter 34 – Consolidating Efforts

_Do you really wanna know it? I don't think you wanna know,  
The way that this is goin' down, The way my feet are on the ground.  
Do you really think you can, Take over permission and place?  
I don't think you have a chance.  
Yeah, I got my friends, And they've got my back.  
An' no evil's coming here to attack  
You pack your bags 'cause you're not stayin' long!  
Once I'm done, you're gonna be – Gone!  
Step up, step up – An' if ya try to get to me,  
But at the end you're gonna see, The only way it's supposed to be.  
(Yea-eah-yeah, yeah)  
Step up, step up – An' if ya try to get through me,  
But at the end you're gonna see,  
Because you know that victory is pointin' right at me._

"Step Up" – from the movie soundtrack  
Yu-Gi-Oh!: Pyramid of Light

Kaiba skidded to a halt, barely avoiding Anzu who had stopped in front of him so abruptly that one might have thought she hit a wall. Mentally, he figured she had – a shifting purple-black one of shadowy mists several dozen yards ahead but whose sheer size still made it seem to loom directly over them. If this were some kind of joke, Otogi beat him to the punch line.

"What in the _hells_ is that!"

Anzu stood frozen for a moment, staring in nothing short of horror at the cloud of vaporous Shadows completely enveloping the majority of the soccer field. "W-when did that happen . . . ?"

Kaiba studied her face as he drew up even with her. "You recognize it, don't you?"

Anzu swallowed and nodded. "Pegasus-san created a cloud like that . . . a-at Duelist Kingdom . . . during his Duel with Yugi-kun . . . "

Kaiba grunted. He had heard the absurd story a few months back on the crowded flight in his helicopter from Pegasus's private little paradise back to Nihon, the main island of Japan. He had dismissed the fantastic tale at the time, but some of the things he had seen and experienced since – especially within the past twenty-four hours – were forcing a re-evaluation of that disbelief. "So what is it? Kaiba Corporation's Dueling System is the best there is, but even it can't produce something like _this_."

"I remember Honda telling me about that. Does this mean a Shadow Game is in effect?" Otogi wanted to know, speaking up at the same time.

Anzu nodded. "I-I think so . . . Someone's opened himself to the Shadows. Maybe Malik – "

"No. I'd be willing to bet it was Other-Yugi-san."

_Other Yugi did this?_ Kaiba shook his head. Whether or not he believed their magic nonsense was irrelevant at the moment. "Do you have any idea what is going on inside?"

Anzu swallowed again and quickly recounted the status of the fight and their friends' states of mind the last that she and Otogi knew for certain, surprised when Kaiba favored them with information of his own as he confirmed having been witness to Urameshi's attacks on Hashiba. Kaiba uncrossed his arms and double-checked the status of his Duel Disk as Anzu concluded with the fact that she had intended to use her deck and Otogi's to help their friends further confuse the possessed combatants.

"But with that Shadow cloud in place, I don't know that we'll even be able to reach anyone. When Honda and I tried to get to Yugi-kun and Pegasus-san, it wouldn't let us."

Otogi shook his head at Anzu. "If you weren't meant to interrupt _that_ very private Duel, then no, but if Other-Yugi-san _did_ initiate it this time, I doubt he'd block us from helping."

"He would if he was trying to protect us," Anzu groused.

Kaiba had heard enough. Without a word, he made for the near edge of the vaporous cloud, long legs closing the distance in seconds.

"Kaiba-kun!"

"What are you – ?" Anzu started as she and Otogi caught up.

Kaiba did not even break stride. "You, back up Jonouchi," he told Otogi, then pointed at Anzu. "You go see if there's anything in your Deck that can work with that Kujaku woman."

Otogi grabbed Anzu's arm, silencing her protest to the insult. "What about you?"

Kaiba drew a five-card starting hand, pushed into the wall of purple-black mists and veered to his left without a backward glance.

8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8

The spirit cursed under his breath, catching the Swords' spell card as his Duel Disk ejected it. Swords of Revealing Light and Exile of the Wicked both went into the Graveyard slot of the Disk. He looked up to reassess the situation.

Thankfully, Sanada was no longer alone against Urameshi and the three armored fighters. Injured as the fox-demon-turned-human was, however, the spirit could only hope that Kurama's presence would make a measurable difference. Kuwabara continued to wrestle with the one the spirit guessed from Honda's description to be Yukina, ice forming along his limbs and threatening to overtake him, while a snake-armored fighter crossed blades with the youkai swordsman who was no taller than the spirit even manifested on his own, separate from his _aibou_. Both moved with such incredible speed that it was nearly impossible for the spirit to follow their actions. It took him a moment to recognize Hashiba inside of his full Armor, blood smearing both gloved hands, but he seemed not to have a weapon, forced to wait for an opening provided by the smaller fighter before he could slip a hand over any possible wounds on the armored swordsman. It was then that the spirit remembered seeing Hashiba's armor once before – and the bow he had carried at the time, sparing a glance at the folded weapon in Nasutei's hands. _But how did _she_ wind up with it? _the spirit could not help wondering. He shook his head, admonishing himself. _Not now!_

Facing forward once again, he frowned as movement caught his attention to his right, along the fence the way he had come. He gaped for just a moment in shock. "K-kaiba?" What in the hells was _he_ doing here?

Whether Kaiba actually heard him or just sensed the attention, Duelist to Duelist, Kaiba favored him with a smirk as he took up a position opposite Mai, turning the triangle of Duelist influence into a diamond-shape, and the Shadows allowed the spirit to hear his rival-friend's thoughts. _Can't let _you_ have all the glory now, can I?_ Kaiba summoned Lord of Dragons, equipping the Monster with a Flute of Dragon Summoning for two Blue-Eyes White Dragons to join him as well.

At the same time, Yugi tugged on their mindlink for attention. -_Nakama, Anzu and Otogi-kun are back – with Duel Disks!_-

The spirit's eyes found Otogi standing across the field from him by Jonouchi's side, active Duel Disk held horizontally on his arm, cards in hand. A Dark Bat flapped in mid-air before him alongside a facedown card. Scanning for Anzu, he spotted her arriving at Mai's side, the two trading heated comments about whether or not Anzu would impede Mai's efforts rather than help. A powerful hate and disgust directed specifically at him startled him just then, lancing through the Shadows and drawing his attention to Shu, who locked eyes with his prey as he started across the field.

_Weak, pathetic little shrimp of a nobody! Why I bothered to stick my neck out for you the other day, you little wimp – _

The spirit blocked the loathing thoughts but not before Yugi heard them, almost as stung by them as his living partner was.

-_That's _not_ Shu-kun_,- Yugi asserted in a low voice, as certain as he was hurt.

-_I know, Aibou. I know_,- the spirit assured him. _You have more honor than that, Shu. I know you have – I've sensed it – and I _will_ win it back for you. On my honor as a Duelist, I swear it!_

8 8 8 8 8

Ryo gasped in alarm as the foursome facing him and Kurama stepped back, leveling weapons or beginning to describe patterns with them. "Damn! Kurama, behind me, NOW!" The fiery power-up that burned through him and danced tongues of flames up both katanas _might_ be enough for his Armor to withstand the punishing combination of attacks.

Might.

8 8 8 8 8

Kurama did not know what the patterns with the kusari-gama or the no-dachi meant exactly, but he had seen Mouri level his yari in that position once already and had no desire to leave the soccer field a second time surfing an energy-laced waterspout. And that was to say nothing of the coming Spirit Gun shot from Yusuke!

"Oh, no, you don't, ya punks! Reveal trap card: Monster Box!"

It took a moment for Kurama to register Jonouchi's voice, but by then, he and Ryo were turning to gaze at each other in shock, both knocked down onto their backsides and encased in a large cube, six round holes gaping over their heads, unevenly spaced across the roof.

"Whoa, so this is what a Whack-a-Mole looks like from the inside!" Ryo chuckled. Snarls of rage interrupted any further comment.

_"Superwave Smash!"_

_ "Leaping Darkness Slash!"_

_ "Red Lightning Chains!"_

_ "Spirit Gun!"_

Ryo and Kurama found themselves cringing further down with arms over their heads as four separate attacks assaulted the box at once, washing barrages of deadly energy over and around the walls of their shelter. Miraculously, the pair remained untouched, the box surviving intact. Even the crimson energy that "cooled" into a loose latticework of steel chains, visible through the holes, quickly slid out of place and down out of view.

"Wow, where do _I_ get one of these?" Ryo muttered.

Kurama could only shake his head, much more concerned about another "minor" detail. _Yusuke only has four shots he can perform with his Spirit Gun, but Sanada-kun carries the residual energy of having been hit by one once already. Add that to the three times we know that Hashiba-kun was hit, and that would mean Yusuke has shot five times now, at least! What's going on?_

8 8 8 8 8

Rajura spared a moment to study the carnival-decorated cube that suddenly manifested over his teammates, seeming to withstand the volleys unscathed. He had wondered at the game-players' arrival, appreciating their desire to help but fearing they would only get themselves killed. They might still, but at least their efforts seemed to be having effect in the meantime. He himself had successfully glued Seiji to the grass with his Spiderweb Cast attack but knew it would only be a matter of time before his fellow Ronin cut himself loose. Meanwhile, he easily grappled with Shizuru as Jonouchi and his friend continued their assault. He heard the draconic fighter's name to be Alligator Sword as he was summoned, and watched the facedown card flip to reveal a short, squat figure in blue-ish armor and cape – he remembered seeing Little Wing Guard through his teammates' witness of the boy's duel with the bug kid. Both monsters along with a giant purple-black bat – _Keh, matches this demonic cloud cover!_ – rushed Shu, Keiko, and Jun as they started to make their way across the grass in Mutou's direction. Glancing, he saw twin flashes of holographic light that would seem to indicate Mutou had played some cards on his "field." Little Wing Guard grabbed Keiko from behind, pinning her arms to her sides, while Dark Bat took to flight with Jun, just high enough to get the boy's feet off the ground, but Alligator Sword had no chance against the Warrior of Hardrock, Shu's tetsubo – an iron bo staff with a naginata blade at one end – easily slicing the solid hologram in half. Rajura noted with alarm the look of pain that crossed Jonouchi's face, body jerking as though he had taken his monster's blow himself. The black-haired boy steadied him.

"I summon Cyber Harpie, plus the magic card Elegant Egotist. Go, Harpie Lady Sisters!"

Rajura noted as one winged femme fatale bore down on him, and he turned to shield Shizuru, but the plum-clad blonde game-player called out to him. "No, it's okay! She's mine. Let me get the girl off your hands!"

Rajura met the woman's eye for a moment before he relented, shifting Shizuru forward and out from himself for the monster's taloned feet to wrap her arms much as the bat had done to Jun. One of the beast's sisters had managed to capture Hardrock in the same manner while a third took to flight with Touma of the Heavens. Next to the blonde, the short-haired brunette had two cards of her own set and ready in addition to a green-skinned butterfly fairy hovering over her shoulder, a silver bow gripped in her small hands, arrow nocked and ready. Then, Rajura was spinning at a flash of warning from his Armor, barely getting his forearm guard up in time to block the Sword of Halo. Seiji was free.

* * *

Author's Note: Please be sure to check my bio page for any updates, etc. Thanks!


	35. Chapter 35 The Cost of Playing

Disclaimer – Yu Yu Hakusho, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and Ronin Warriors (a.k.a. Yoroiden: Samurai Troopers) and all related characters, events, and concepts belong to their respective owners. I get no monetary benefit from this. My benefit is the enjoyment of dealing with beloved characters. If you recognize him/her/it, I don't own him/her/it. If you don't recognize, I might still not be the owner but it'd be best to ask. I'd appreciate it, anyway. ((grin))

"The Spellfire Saga – 1: Shards"  
by DragonDancer5150

Chapter 35 – The Cost of Playing

"Now!"

Ryo nodded, leaping from the box at the same time that power burst from Kurama, nearly blacking out the half-breed. The major summons pulled a small pack of bloodhound weeds from the Demon Realm – herbaceous, vaguely canine predators, roughly the size of a medium dog, with a pair of hinged flaps for a head not unlike an Earthen venus flytrap. They were attracted to the body heat of warm-blooded youkai, so Kurama had told Ryo to go for the enemy furthest from their box. The bloodhound weeds swarmed after the Warrior of Fire, sensing the Yoki of the Armor, and Kurama could only hope that one or more of their possessed companions would find himself in their path. He had no doubt that the plant-beasts would be no match for their friends, but the little monsters might slow them down until he came up with a more viable plan of attack.

8 8 8 8 8

_Jonouchi and Otogi . . . Yugi . . . Mai and Anzu . . . me_. Kaiba could not be sure how he knew the order of play, but his Duelist instincts told him that it was true. He drew, setting Ring of Destruction and Crush Card. He watched as what looked like five brown-and-green bloodhounds followed the fire-armored swordsman out of Jonouchi's Monster Box, swarming Urameshi and the armored fighter with the kusari-gama while the fiery swordsman took on the blue-armored fighter with the yari. That left the wolf-armored fighter with the no-dachi. The redheaded teen – whom Kaiba recognized from the group on the bridge that afternoon – popped up, thinking to stand on top of the box only to barely land on his feet, surprised when his platform evaporated from under him. Kaiba smirked. _Monster Box only lasts one turn_. He frowned at the pain and exhaustion evident in the redhead's stance as "wolf-man" turned to him, along with the kusari-gama-bearing fighter who had easily dispatched the three bloodhounds that leaped at him. "Blue-Eyes, attack!"

With a roar, the two dragons crossed the field, closing on the ones their summoner recognized as opponents. Urameshi easily gutted his two plant-beasts with powerful punches and kicks, and it took nothing short of a blast of the dragon's destructive energy burst breath to fell him. The Salamandra-boosted, fire-armored human overpowered his water-armored counterpart with relative ease and turned on the wolf-armored swordsman, so the second dragon reared back to breathe his Destruction Burst Stream on the last fighter, who turned to meet him rather than continue the intended attack on the redhead who had just passed out.

_"Red Lightning Chains!"_

Kaiba cursed under his breath as the fighter drove the clawed end of his kusari-gama into the ground only for it explode forth ten times over in crimson-glowing chains erupting back up to envelope the Blue-Eyes. He watched in stunned shock as the chains tightened around and destroyed his beloved dragon, the great wyrm letting out a dying shriek as he exploded into a multitude of sparkling shards before dissipating altogether. Kaiba grunted as the pain of the beast's passing hit him, though his Duel Disk dropped a relatively light chunk of digits. _What the hells? That actually _hurt_!__ Why that . . ._

But his turn was over.

8 8 8 8 8

Kuwabara could only wonder where the dragons behind him had come from, but until he got Yukina subdued once and for all, there was little he could do about them. One arm had been frozen to his knees and the ground, the other greatly hampered by frost numbing his shoulder. Yukina stood on his hunched back, giggling madly – until a mist-winged weight slammed into her, rolling with her onto the ground. Before Kuwabara could see what had tackled his ladylove, a dome of shifting, translucent Darkness snapped into place over the two. Kuwabara attempted to break himself free of the ice trapping him as he watched the larger, dark figure in the force field raise its arm, bringing a fist down on the smaller one, who promptly stopped moving. The ice on Kuwabara melted out of existence in a heartbeat. "Yukina-san!" Kuwabara dragged his chilled body to the dome just as the larger figure seemed to sink away into the ground itself. He turned with a growl on the blonde to his left, whom he had already seen summon winged monsters. "What did you do that for? I had it handled! You didn't hafta hurt her like that!"

The woman glared back at him, glancing up at her three airborne harpies. "It wasn't me, you big lunk!"

8 8 8 8 8

_No, it wasn't_, the spirit agreed, recognizing the force field at the big guy's feet. The soft gasp from behind him as the dome appeared told him that Nasutei recognized it as well. _Whatever that is, it's not a Duel Monster. I cannot sense the creature at all!_ He frowned as domes sprang up one after the other over Kurama, Urameshi, and the one he thought he remembered was named Mouri Shin and whom he now knew, from the simultaneous attacks on Monster Box, had been the creator of the incredible water wave he had witnessed earlier.

He saw the cobra-armored fighter finally manage to disarm the youkai swordsman, recognizing the restrained strike for what it was as the edge of the blade nicked the other's chest, close to his heart. The sword with a snakehead for a pommel had suddenly become coated with a deep pinkish secretion right before the strike. The spirit watched the smaller fighter go rigid and collapse, twitching a little but otherwise unmoving, either paralyzed or dying. _Dammit, no!_ He could only pray it was the former as a dome of Shadow went up over him as well. He snarled at the appearance of the force field. _What's going on? Who is _doing_ that?_

He noted Jonouchi and Otogi lay out cards on their turn, two spell cards facedown hovering before Jonouchi while a tatter-robed skeletal swordsman took up a defensive stance before Otogi. The spirit recognized The Thirteenth Grave. The turn was now back to him.

Before he could draw, he heard Mai call out, "Reveal trap card: Mirror Wall!" It was not her turn, but most traps by nature could be played out of turn. The green-armored swordsman had knocked the spider-armored one off his feet and had reversed his sword to come down with an overhead stab aimed for the one-eyed fighter's face. A highly-polished, crystalline barrier flashed up between them, taking the sword strike, shimmering a reflection of iridescent light back on the swordsman before vanishing once more. The spirit nodded approval. He knew well the effects of Mirror Wall, having had to find a way around it himself once in a match with the cunning lady Duelist. If the card effects truly were operating in a very real manner on the fighters, then the one Yugi told him was kendo champion Date Seiji should find his strength and energy stores depleted by half. Date stumbled back, dazed. The spider-armored fighter took the opportunity to spring to his feet and press the attack, landing a solid blow squarely into Date's breastplate and another to the head, knocking off the fanciful samurai helm. The green-armored fighter crumpled, unconscious. A Darkness dome snapped up over him a moment later.

Shu had managed to cross most of the distance to Nasutei and the spirit before the Harpie picked him up. The two had managed to forget about Shu in the face of all the chaos on the ground, but they remembered in a hurry when he hit the turf not thirty feet from them, the Harpie screeching as she exploded from a successful strike of the tetsubo. Shu landed in a crouch, lifting his head to lock a steely glare on the spirit. "Get that wimpy little face outta my _sight!_" He raised the iron bo to twirl above his head like an oversized cheerleader's baton.

"Oh, gods! M-mutou-kun - !" Nasutei tugged at him from behind in sudden desperation. With the tone of her near-panic, he guessed that she knew too well what was about to happen.

_"Oh, gods" is right!_ The spirit swallowed in rapidly-growing dread, sensing the enormous power gathering, but they had nowhere to go. He could only pray that Big Shield Guardna and the leonine Gazelle, whom he had played on his last turn, would be able to withstand whatever it was coming at them.

-_S-somehow, I don't think they will, Nakama . . ._ -

_"Ironrock Crush!"_

Shu brought down the end of his bo to point at the ground, inches from the grass, a massive pulse of energy pounding down, then racing in a straight shot at the guarding Monsters, tearing up the ground in its wake. Nasutei had already hauled the spirit off his feet, fleeing with him several yards before the explosion under Gazelle and Guardna washed over them. The spirit turned to wrap arms around the woman, praying his supernatural energies might shield her at least a little, even as the agony of Gazelle's passing ripped through him in addition to the concussive energy wave. Big Shield Guardna had been in Defense Mode, so no Life Points were lost, but he had summoned Gazelle in Attack. _G-gods . . . that . . . hurt . . . _ Stunned, it took him a moment to gather his wits enough to push to hands and knees off of Nasutei.

Even from the relative safety of his soul room, Yugi too reeled from the pain. He pulled himself back to his feet on the doorjamb of his room and reached up the mindlink. -_Other Me, are you all right? What _was_ that?_-

-_I'm not sure, Aibou. The Shadow Game, I think. It must have linked the Monsters' lives directly with our own. We have to stop this battle before anyone else gets hurt, especially Anzu and Otogi!-_

-_We need to stop Shu-kun first before _we_ get further hurt!_-

The spirit hesitated at the deep and genuine fear that had crept into Yugi's voice, tried though he had to hide it, but his _aibou_ was right. If they were not careful, their friend would destroy them for certain.

"Shu, what are you doing?" Nasutei screamed in fright-born fury. "Snap out of it! You'll kill us!"

Shu gave her a cruel grin. "Yeah, I might, actually. Could be fun. You know, you've always annoyed me – you and that stupid little rugrat, Jun. Heh, maybe I'll take care of him after I finish off the two of you." He advanced, tetsubo braced with menacing intent.

The spirit scrambled to his feet, pulling Nasutei up behind him as he backpedaled from the fighter's advance. He realized he had yet to draw. He did so, but it was nothing more useful against the warrior than what he already had in his hand. If only he could buy some time, maybe with a defensive spell such as – _Ah! That's it! Magical Hats . . ._ The spirit looked but could not find the manifestation of his facedown trap. It was then that he realized the real card had ejected from his Duel Disk, hanging by one edge from the slot. He palmed it, swearing under his breath. _Must have been destroyed in that blast. Damn it! Don't I have _anything_?_ He shoved the trap, along with Gazelle's and Guarda's cards, into the Graveyard slot before they could be lost or damaged.

He did not realize that he and Nasutei had retreated clear into the soccer goal until he felt the woman stop behind him, a soft gasp escaping her as he felt her go rigid, and he reached back to find woven nylon meet his fingers, looking up to see the structure of the goal above and around him. He glared down at the trio of cards in his hand, but he held nothing at all that he could summon to his and Nasutei's defense. _G-gods . . ._

He had missed them at first, the spasms of struggle that crossed Shu's face as he followed their retreat, a shape of orange light attempting to assert itself on his forehead. The spirit looked up from his cards to Shu's wicked smirk at their plight, and he saw a shudder wrack the warrior's sturdy frame for a moment. Shu collapsed to his knees just then as brilliant orange light flared over his forehead, much like the spirit's own Horus Eye, only this was the kanji for "Justice." With that, Shu's entire suit vanished from him, taking the tetsubo with it – first the outer Battle Armor, then the sub-Armor – leaving him in his jeans, t-shirt and sneakers. With a groan, he fell forward to brace on his hands, and the spirit watched in shock as the orange energies surrounding Shu from the dematerialized Armor coalesced into a sphere the size of a shooting marble between his hands – the same one, the spirit realized, with which Urameshi had been toying the night before.

"Of course!" Nasutei exclaimed, sounding deeply relieved. "Shu's Armor is the Armor of Justice! Even under mind control, the Virtue built into the Armor could not allow such an act to be made! It withdrew rather than let itself to be forced to continue."

_That . . . makes sense . . . I suppose . . ._ The spirit shook his head. He would have to ask about that later. Besides the danger of the Duelists taking physical punishment alongside their Monsters, he realized that he was tiring quickly. The strain of the summonings and now his injuries, on top of the drain of maintaining the Shadows themselves, were taking a terrible toll on his energy stores, considerable though they were.

8 8 8 8 8

Mai scowled. Yugi – or "Other Yugi" or whoever that was over there – must not have been able to make an attack, if he had been driven back like that from the earthen fighter. Quite frankly, it was a miracle that he and the woman with him had been able to pull themselves to their feet at all after the explosion that had thrown up dirt and rock and left the thirty-foot crater that it did. She had seen him draw a card and, with the inaction, she knew that he had passed. It was her turn. She drew.

So did Anzu. In spite of all else going on throughout the battlefield, her eyes were glued to Yugi. "Oh, no, you don't," she growled at the fighter in orange, even as he seemed to hesitate in his advance. "I cast Breath of God! This destroys one Rock-type Monster!"

Mai saw the other drop to his knees just then, watched as his armor dissipated before the spell even seemed to reach him.

8 8 8 8 8

Shu raised his eyes slowly to take in his surroundings, his tone low, confused, and devoid of the hate of a moment ago, the kanji fading gently from his forehead. "N-Nasutei? Mutou-san? W-where am I?" Before he could learn the answer, the energy of a spell slammed him, knocking him unconscious.

"No, Shu!" The spirit sprinted to him, about half-a-dozen yards beyond the boundary of the goal. Before either he or Nasutei could reach his side, a purple-black force field shimmered into existence over him. "Damn it!" The spirit dropped to his knees, pounding fists on the deceptively solid surface.

"Shu, wake up! Shu!" Nasutei tried beating the shield with Hashiba's bow.

_You are weak, Pharaoh_.

"W-wha - ?" The spirit heard the thought before his eyes found its source. Then, he was scrambling back to his feet, a humanoid figure of winged, flickering Darkness mere inches and closing.

It did not speak, but he heard the thought that crossed its – no, _her!_ – mind as she slapped a hand flat to his chest before he could stop her. _You will _not_ lose!_ The snarled command left no room for argument.

Energy flooded him, Shadow power coursing through his very existence. It jolted him fully upright, muscles locking in painful convulsions. As quickly as it began, however, it was over, and the mysterious figure dropped away into his shadow. He followed the next instant, collapsing to the grass and curling in on himself, each strand in the very pattern of his spectral energy singing with Shadow. Every fiber of the body from golden bangs to toenails ached with it. It was all he could do not to black out from the raw power sizzling coldly through his very existence.

8 8 8 8 8

Mai nodded approval to her temporary Dueling partner, only to turn and let out a hiss of alarm and anger as something attacked Yugi, dropping him where he stood. "Yugi!" she heard Anzu shriek, but before the younger girl could go to their friend's side, Mai was clutching at her for support, pain wracking her for the second time as another of her Harpie Ladies fell. After that ogre of an orange-armored guy had destroyed the first Harpie, Mai powered up the other one holding a fighter in armor but, apparently, the additional strength of the Lightening Whip spell card was not enough. "Damn you," she muttered, then motioned to the muscular warrior woman who had been standing by her side since her first turn. "Amazoness Chain Master, attack!"

8 8 8 8 8

Naaza had allowed himself just an instant of a breather, down on one knee as he propped himself on his swords. Gods but Hiei was fast! He stood to meet his next opponent as Heavens hit the ground, but more immediately found himself facing a very buxom – and very angry-looking – tribal female with lengths of chain wrapping both forearms, a triple-bladed weight in each hand. "What the – ?"

8 8 8 8 8

"Mai, what are you doing?"

Mai ignored Anzu to call out, "Snake-eyes, destroy my Monster! Just do it!" She glared at the armored fighter, nodding assurance as he braced against the advance of the warrior woman and his fellow Ronin. She saw in his inhuman eyes the decision to trust that she knew what she was doing. The swing of one snake-pommeled sword struck down the Amazon warrior. Bracing against the pain of her Monster's passing, plus the additional loss of Life Points, Mai gritted out through clenched teeth, "I pay 1000 Life Points to activate Amazoness Chain Master's special ability." One of the tri-clawed weights flew forth from the shower of multicolored sparks of the Monster's death, chain wrapping around Hashiba. "This allows me to take control of one Monster from my opponent's Deck. I choose this 'Monster'! So . . . wake up, you!" The weapon hauled Hashiba backwards off his feet to land flat on his back before it dissipated after its solid-hologram owner. He did not move right away. "You're up, rich boy!" She tried to ignore the new dome that enveloped the midnight-armored fighter, and could only hope she had successfully him freed from the mind control.

8 8 8 8 8

Kaiba scowled at the woman across the field, but he had more pressing matters to attend than trading insults with Mai. He had his Blue-Eyes to avenge. He drew, adding the card to his hand without even looking as he called the attack on the fighter who had destroyed his other dragon. "Reveal trap card: Ring of Destruction! Plus I play Ring of Defense!" The collar of grenades formed around the neck of the fighter who wielded that damnable kusari-gama. _That should break the hypnotic control on him, at the very least, while protecting my Life Points from the backlash_. After all, this was "only" a game, holograms. It was not as though the other was in danger of truly being killed.

Otogi apparently disagreed. "Kaiba, what in the many hells do you think you're doing! Reveal trap card: Trap Jammer!" He discarded a hand card to the Graveyard as the cost of activation.

"Otogi, stay out of this!" Kaiba snarled as his trap dissipated from around the fighter's throat.

"You'll kill him pulling crap like that!"

"Fine! Blue-Eyes, attac-!"

"_Red Lightning Chains!_" The armored fighter had taken advantage of their disagreement to act first, chains exploding up over the dragon as they had done to his brethren.

"Reveal spell card: Elf's Light!"

Kaiba glowered sullenly, but he could not deny that his dragon would have been destroyed if not for Anzu's intervention. "_A LIGHT monster equipped with this card increases its ATK by 400 points and decreases its DEF by 200 points._" The boost was just enough for the Blue-Eyes to resist death. "Blue-Eyes White Dragon, Destruction Burst Stream!" He watched the armored fighter succumb with a snarl, crumpling at the dragon's feet. A moment later, a force field domed him.

Kaiba's anger was sated. He looked down to see that the new card he had pulled was Monster Reborn. On his post-battle Main Phase, he used it to recall his fallen Blue-Eyes. That gave him three Monsters once again, as he still retained Lord of Dragons in Defense Mode. He held The Great War God Obelisk in hand, but even he was not foolish enough to summon _that_ kind of power against these living opponents. As Otogi had pointed out, he wanted them defeated, not dead. "End turn. Jonouchi, it's your – !"

"_DIE!_"

* * *

Author's Note: Please be sure to check my bio page for any updates, etc. Thanks!

Yes, I know the real "Amazoness Chain Master" card has a cost of 1500 LP to activate its effect, but in the manga and the anime (in the Japanese, I should say – the English dub doesn't say at all), Mai states that the cost is 1000 LP. Where there is a discrepancy between the anime or manga and the real card game, I will usually go with what is reality or the characters rather than for us. ((grin))


	36. Chapter 36 Turnaround

Disclaimer – Yu Yu Hakusho, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and Ronin Warriors (a.k.a. Yoroiden: Samurai Troopers) and all related characters, events, and concepts belong to their respective owners. I get no monetary benefit from this. My benefit is the enjoyment of dealing with beloved characters. If you recognize him/her/it, I don't own him/her/it. If you don't recognize, I might still not be the owner but it'd be best to ask. I'd appreciate it, anyway. ((grin))

"The Spellfire Saga – 1: Shards"  
by DragonDancer5150

Chapter 36 – Turnaround

"Crap! Where'd _you_ come from?" Jonouchi drew his card even as he backpedaled from the samurai-armored teen throwing himself sword first at the Duelist, face twisted into a visage of hate and fury such that even _he_ had never seen before.

"Thirteenth Grave, defend!" Otogi gasped, gripping Jonouchi by the shoulders, ready to help pull him out of harm's way.

"Reveal trap card: Kunai with Chain!" A trifoliate blade on a length of chain erupted from one of Jonouchi's facedown cards, snaking around the samurai teen into an inescapable embrace. Still, its power drain was not nearly enough for The Thirteenth Grave to be able to withstand the armored fighter. The resultant destruction of the skeletal Monster left both boys without defenders and, lacking a Duel Monster to wield it, Kunai with Chain dissipated after the initial strike.

By then, the spider-armored fighter had reached them, raking the samurai teen with his six-kama-pack. Enraged, the samurai teen lifted his free hand, but the spider warrior ducked the energy blast and rolled into teen's legs, taking his feet out from under him, forcing Jonouchi and Otogi to dance back out of the way even as the snake-armored fighter closed in to help.

8 8 8 8 8

Ryo had been clashing swords with Anubisu for several minutes now. He wondered – was he just out of serious practice, or were Anubisu's strikes stronger than Ryo had ever known them to be. His arms were tiring from the jarring blows. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Rajura and Naaza close to take on the shard-armored Sohma who had finally made another appearance. He started to protest, then realized there was no one else around to fight him, to keep him from attacking the two non-combatants. _Where the hell is everyone else?_

8 8 8 8 8

Kuwabara did not see what was taking place at the other end of the field. His attention was in the direction of the goal nearest him. Something had just felled Mutou – or, rather, the Pharaoh – the same something that had taken down his dear, sweet Yukina, and he would be damned if that went unanswered! "Spirit Sword!" he cried as he bolted for the end zone, the golden energy blade manifesting over his fist.

8 8 8 8 8

"Nnghh . . . "

Nasutei knelt by the spirit's side, trying to coax him out of his fetal curl. "Yugi! Please say something. Are you all right?"

"Oww . . . " Not much else would come out of him just yet. The spirit forced himself to straighten and sit up in spite of the pounding ice-cold tingle that still filled him. _Gods have mercy, what _was_ that?_ Despite the fact that he felt like the victim of a lightning strike, the pain actually was not a "bad" one. _Chh__, "hurts so good"?_ he wondered with a caustic shake of the head, even as he felt strangely revitalized in spite of having been pounded with triple the Shadow power that he and the Puzzle combined could retain. _So . . . that being meant to help me? But if so, to what end?_ The unspoken voice was the same one he had heard promise to keep him from falling back at the skyscraper, the one that did not seem aware of his ability at those times to hear her snarled promises of retaliation. "_I protect what I have claimed!_" Her pronouncement when Urameshi first attacked came back to him with a jolt of renewed alarm. _What does she mean "claimed"? And does she know of Aibou and I as separate souls? He _must_ be the one she meant as the Puzzle Mas- . . . _AIBOU_!_ It was only then he realized that he did not immediately sense his partner's presence in his mind. _Gods, don't tell me she took him somehow!_

Just then, a low, pain-riddled moan vibrated up the mindlink, followed by a rueful attempt at humor. -_All right, Other Me, who rerouted a Bullet train down our hallway?-_

The spirit breathed a sigh of deep relief. Yugi had just been knocked out. Not surprising, seeing as how he himself had barely held on to consciousness.

It was then that Kuwabara dropped to his knees by his side, a pure-energy sword of golden light "gripped" in one hand. "Hey, Mutou, you okay?"

"Eh . . . y-yes, thank you." The spirit had to rely on both Nasutei and Kuwabara to help him to his feet, Nasutei slipping him his dropped hand cards. "Again, thank you." A strange heat itched at his chest, and he pulled his shirt out and down a bit to look, stopping cold at the sight.

-_S-she . . . _marked_ us, Nakama . . ._ -

-_And I will find her and make her _UN_mark us, Aibou!_- the spirit snarled, refusing to be claimed by any entity against his will, even if she _had_ replenished his flagging energy stores and then some. For now, he would have to try to ignore the handprint branded on his chest like a bad sunburn, returning his attention to the battle at hand.

8 8 8 8 8

"Our turn's not over yet!"

"Got that right!" Jonouchi asserted with a nod, slapping a card down in Attack Mode as Otogi drew. "I summon Gearfried the Iron Knight! Plus I play Graceful Dice from my hand an' reveal my facedown, Skull Dice! Take that! What? Ah, man . . . " The Skull die rolled a one, the Graceful a two. The shard-armor's strength and power did not change, while Gearfried's "only" doubled. "Well, whatever. Gearfried, attack!" The armor-controlled teen raised a hand to the metal-clad knight, washing him with an energy blast. The surge interrupted the sword attack, but the knight survived.

The teen nearly disarmed the snake-armored fighter, a well-placed kick square to the breastplate knocking the warrior back, giving himself a moment to backpedal and start to spin, sword held out. The spider warrior was just climbing back to his feet himself.

Otogi placed the card he had just drawn, growling, "Don't know what you're up to, pal, but . . . no, you don't! I set one Monster face down. Hey, purple dude with the antler horns, do us all a favor and attack my card! Just a scratch, though, 'kay?"

Jonouchi looked at Otogi with almost as much disbelief as the one-eyed spider warrior, then realized what he was doing. _Must be a Flip Effect Monster, an' a low-level one at that_, he mused as he watched the fighter decide to trust him and cast a morningstar from his forearm guard to graze the card's edge. Their opponent twirled just then, washing them all with a brief hurricane of wind and knocking everyone off their feet. Jonouchi rolled to his knees and looked up to see if Otogi's Monster had been caught in the attack. _Damn! That woulda definitely helped, too!_ Jonouchi grimaced even as Otogi swore vehemently, clutching his chest as though in pain as Brain Jacker appeared only to be demolished by the whirlwind.

8 8 8 8 8

Ryo was thrown to the ground by the ferocity of Anubisu's assault, one katana in the grass several inches from his reach, the arm momentarily numb from repeated blows, the other trapped under him from a bad position in his fall. He looked up with a gasp as Anubisu gripped his Sword of Darkness two-handed overhead, prepared to drive it through Ryo's heart, and the Warrior of Fire knew he could not count on one of those pretty shields to spring out of nowhere as had benefited Rajura against Seiji. Nor would he manage to roll completely out from under the attack in time. He tried to throw his nerveless arm up to parry, but in mid-attack, the sword fell from Anubisu's grip as he reared back, both hands clapped over the front of his helm. Ryo thought he saw a flash of rich amethyst light over Anubisu's forehead before it was hidden.

_Piety!_

The assertion of Virtue rang through Ryo's mind from Anubisu's as he watched the other's sudden struggle. _I get it! Even under control, the Virtues won't let the Armors be forced to fatally strike another Armor-bearer like this!_

As though to prove Ryo's suspicions, Anubisu's Armor dissipated in stages, no-dachi vanishing with it, and deep red light coalesced into a crystal orb at his feet as he stumbled and dropped to a knee. Dazed, Anubisu's eyes found Ryo's. "W-wildfire? Nnnn . . . h-help . . . " He collapsed to his side.

Ryo had pushed to his knees by then, working his hand open and closed to start to regain feeling as he brought his other sword up to defend, just in case. As his teammate collapsed, he shifted forward, moving to his comrade's side. "Anubisu! Anubisu!"

8 8 8 8 8

_Card Destruction, Multiply, and Dark Magician Girl . . . who requires a sacrifice to summon, and I don't have any Monsters on the field._ The spirit scowled as he reached for his Deck. _I _know_ I have a Change of Heart, and Brain Control would _definitely_ help, if the spell effects are truly working on people . . . but I've yet to manage to draw either one. Heart of the Cards, guide me!_ He drew. _Kuriboh . . . Not quite what I was hoping for . . . but you've never let me down yet_. He set the little Monster in Defense Mode and slipped Multiply into a spell slot face down, then nodded to Mai. _If not me, then let _one_ of us Duelists manage to help break this insane cycle!_

8 8 8 8 8

Mai nodded in return and drew. It was nothing she could use at the moment, but that did not matter. She had set the perfect trap card last turn, which she could now put into effect. She glanced over at the card Anzu drew. _Even better!_ "Play it. We could all use it." Flipping the switch on the corresponding spell/trap slot, she declared, "Activate trap card: Remove Brainwashing!"

Anzu nodded, her expression grim, and followed suit. "Activate magic card: Rain of Mercy!"

* * *

Author's Note: Please be sure to check my bio page for any updates, etc. Thanks!


	37. Chapter 37 Broken

Disclaimer – Yu Yu Hakusho, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and Ronin Warriors (a.k.a. Yoroiden: Samurai Troopers) and all related characters, events, and concepts belong to their respective owners. I get no monetary benefit from this. My benefit is the enjoyment of dealing with beloved characters. If you recognize him/her/it, I don't own him/her/it. If you don't recognize, I might still not be the owner but it'd be best to ask. I'd appreciate it, anyway. ((grin))

"The Spellfire Saga – 1: Shards"  
by DragonDancer5150

Chapter 37 – Broken

An iridescent blue-white mist swept across the field – "_As long as this card remains face-up on the field, the control of all monsters on the field returns to the original owners_" – its power seeping into the minds of each one present, lifting the fog of control from those not acting of their own free wills. Those still conscious blinked in confusion, then growing horror, as the shard's control slid from their minds. At the same time, a gentle drizzle fell for a moment from the canopy of twisting Shadows – "_Increases the Life Points of both players by 1000 points_" – and everyone across the battlefield felt a healing power soak into them with the rainwater. Sohma Chikara shrieked with the shard's fury, the cry deteriorating almost instantly into a wretched sobbing groan as the young man lost consciousness. It was all Rajura could do to keep himself from catching the teen, forced to let the body fall where it stood for fear of the shard attempting to take control of his Armor again with the contact.

The two non-Ronins, however, had no such fear. "Dude, catch him!" Otogi yelped in surprise at the Ronins' inactivity as Jonouchi darted forward to comply. Naaza stopped him.

"Hey, what's the big idea, snake-eyes?"

Naaza ignored the insult. "Kurama-kun's already _told_ you! The boy's possession is due to something built into the breastplate of his armor. It seeks _our_ Armors and will attempt to possess _us_ if we touch him. It may well do the same to you even though you are not a Ronin Armor-bearer, just as it did Sohma-kun."

"Well, that's just great!" Jonouchi groused, tugging free of Naaza's hold. "Whadda we do _now_, then?"

8 8 8 8 8

Honda and Shizuka had watched the whole ordeal silently from several paces behind Jonouchi and Otogi. The young girl clung to Honda's arm, frightened by all the powers she had just witnessed. "There must be _something_ they can do! Right, Honda-san?"

Honda shrugged and shook his head with a grimace, watching as Duel Monsters around the field slowly began to stand down – Kaiba's attacking Blue-Eyes returned to his summoner's side, Mai's remaining Harpie Lady Sister gently set a grumbling woman on her feet before doing the same, and Little Wing Guard released his hold on Keiko and shifted in front to stand guard as Dark Bat set down Jun before flapping over to hover by Otogi's shoulder. Kuwabara, Other Yugi, and the young woman with them flanked a blinking Kuriboh crouched on his Defense-position card hovering protectively in front of Shu's Shadowy bubble. But . . . who was the quiet woman standing off to Kuwabara's left? She was too still and calm to be a real person, not with all the craziness going on right before her eyes. Honda decided she must be a Duel Monster, but he had never seen her before. _She must be one of Mai's new cards_.

8 8 8 8 8

Kaiba did not know who this "Kurama" was that the snake-armored fighter mentioned, but he was quite tired of all this talk of possession and other so-called magic. First the Rare Hunters and this Malik person playing him and his tournament for fools, then Yugi and his "Other-Yugi-pharaoh-spirit," then Jonouchi, and Urameshi, then . . . Kaiba shook his head with a growl. "If you people are finished dancing over there, I believe we still have fight on our hands – or can someone tell me where all these force fields are coming from?" Without bothering to let someone answer, he drew for his turn, punching the card into a spell/trap slot in his Duel Disk.

The force fields dropped, one after the other in rapid succession.

Kaiba stood blinking in shock for a moment, then saw Yugi turn to him.

"Kaiba?"

Equally startled, Kaiba shook his head as those who had been imprisoned began to recover.

8 8 8 8 8

Kuwabara dismissed his sword with a thought and darted from the spirit's side to Yukina's as the girl pushed to her knees, one hand going to her head, then dropping to her collarbone where the supernaturally-enhanced cut had healed by Rain of Mercy's effect. "Yukina-san?"

The gentle Ice Maiden glanced up, then turned away. "N-no . . . "

The sight of the shame burning in her ruby eyes tore at the big man's heart, and he gathered her into his arms. "Yukina-san, no. That wasn't you. I _know_ it wasn't." He held her close as she stiffened, then collapsed into his embrace, sobbing softly. From several yards away, Hiei watched in silence.

8 8 8 8 8

Yusuke was having no such misgivings, or if he were, they were buried under something else. "_Stupid_ armor! _Stupid shard! STUPID – !_" Kurama moved to calm him as his fists clenched in wordless promise to pummel the worthless life out of something, _anything_! Behind him, he heard Kaiba chuckle in cool amusement at his tantrum, and saw Kurama throw him a cold glare of warning. Then, Keiko was in his arms, violent shudders wracking her slender frame.

8 8 8 8 8

Anubisu gazed at Ryo, his reaction closer to Yukina's than Urameshi's. "Wildfire . . . gods, I'm sorry! Are you all right?"

Ryo sheathed his sword, leaned over to the other, grabbed and sheathed it, and pushed to his feet, offering Anubisu a warm smile and a hand up. "Yeah, no sweat. Hey, you and the others used to dish out a lot worse back when we were enemies for real. I think I'll survive this one." He pulled Anubisu to his feet, who returned the grin with a tentative smile of his own. Ryo nodded, glanced across the field several yards to where Rajura, Naaza, Jonouchi and his black-haired friend still stood, braced and ready, over an unconscious Sohma, and grimaced. "Anyway, Armor back up, Anubisu. Our fight's not over yet. Hey, Shu, Armor up!"

"_To arms! Glacier!_"

8 8 8 8 8

Nasutei stood trembling a little in spite of herself, surprised that the fight seemed to be over so abruptly. A groan behind her had her spinning to Shu, even as the spirit backed up to him, leaving the creature she had heard him name Kuriboh to guard. Shu had pushed up to hands and knees but had not gathered himself further, chin tucked to his chest. She could guess what must be going through his mind, about having been controlled so thoroughly through his Armor, but then her thoughts went as well to Shuten, her husband, for whom the torment of that experience must be at least as bad. She stood torn between them, but then she met the spirit's eye. He gave her a nod of reassurance – go on, he would handle this – and she dashed across the grass and into her shame-grieving husband's arms.

8 8 8 8 8

Yugi manifested from his soul room, crouching to look into Shu's face even as the warrior turned away from the spirit's approach, unable to face him. -_Shu-kun . ._ . - Yugi murmured softly, tender heart hurting for him. -_Nakama_.-

The spirit nodded to him, then addressed the Ronin. "Take up your weapon, Shu Rei Fuan. You have nothing to be ashamed of. The dishonor is _not yours_ to bear." His tone was firm but gentle, as Yugi knew that his other self could understand what Shu must be thinking.

Shu cringed from the voice, then made himself turn and meet the other's eyes. Finally taking his Armor orb in hand, he let its energies wash back over him and solidify – and the spirit took a step back in mild shock, realizing that _this_ was what he had sensed the other day. With the sub-Armor on, Shu startled to see a ghostly Yugi knelt and gazing at him with an encouraging grin. As with Yukina, Yugi watched him turn quickly away, the shame burning through him clearly written on his face.

Yugi frowned and pushed to be heard as he had done with Urameshi and Hashiba that afternoon. [_Shu-kun, no! Please don't be like that. I know that's not how _you_ feel. Don't let that shard's evil make you think _you've_ done anything wrong_.] Gods, but had he not just had this conversation about an hour ago? Yugi shook his head to dispel the thought and stood, gesturing for Shu to do the same. [_Come on, Shu-kun. Your team still needs you_.]

The spirit gave him a hand up. Shu hesitated, looking between the two before nodding reluctantly and backing from them a few steps.

"_To arms! Hardrock!_"

8 8 8 8 8

Seiji, too, had to be encouraged by his teammates to take up his Sword of Halo once again, too keenly reminded of his capture and manipulation by the youkai sorcerer Shikaisen not even a month ago, and the feelings of powerlessness and disgrace from that experience with which he still struggled. Nevertheless, the weapon's blade shone brightly as his fingers closed around the hilt, as though Halo itself sought to comfort and reassure its bearer. A small, weary smile tugged at Seiji's lips.

8 8 8 8 8

The spirit approached alongside Shu to rejoin the rest of the group, Yugi on one side and Kuriboh floating on his card a half-dozen feet ahead on the other. The sight of Yugi's soul and his body side-by-side drew initial double takes from most of those with the ability to see – the Ronins and Kuwabara. Kurama seemed unfazed, and Urameshi had seen him once already.

The youkai swordsman regarded the two a moment longer, then looked around at the company and grunted. "So, what do we do with him?" He gestured with his katana at Sohma, other hand rubbing his shoulder.

"We gotta get that breastplate off him," Hashiba asserted, "before he wakes up."

Honda had stepped up to his friends' side with Shizuka. "How? None of you guys can do it or you risk having your armors taken over, and the rest of us don't dare either because we might have our minds taken over like his was."

The boy the spirit recognized by description as Jun had darted to Seiji for initial comfort, but he had apparently recovered enough to be listening to the conversation. The spirit watched him peer around the field at everyone present. "Um . . . guys? What about him?" He pointed at Jonouchi's Gearfried the Iron Knight.

Seiji tightened the arm he had draped around the boy's shoulders. "Hey, cool, Jun! I think you may be onto something." Jun looked up, a huge grin on his face at the Ronin's praise.

Mai stood with her arms folded, hand cards still ready in her fingers. "Well, whatever you boys are going to do, you'd better do it. And hurry. If he managed to resist my Remove Brainwashing somehow, I for one don't have anything else in my Deck that can make up for it if he wakes up and we have to continue."

The spirit nodded. "Jonouchi, have Gearfried remove the breastplate if he can."

"You got it, Yug!" Jonouchi looked up at his knight. "Well, buddy, you heard the man. Go for it!"

Gearfried's eyes burned with a faint flash of acknowledgment, and he stooped to obey. The Monster's supernatural strength easily tore the leather straps holding the body of the ancient suit together, and he stood with the breastplate in hand. Another dig of fingers peeled the outer layer from the rest, exposing a fist-sized chuck of black metal glimmering darkly in the unnatural "light" of the Shadow clouds still roofing the soccer field.

All nine Ronins reacted in unison, backpedaling a step and clutching at their helms for an instant as a wave of hatred and fury assaulted them, vile whispers clawing at them.

**You cannot escape me! I am a part of each of you. You are each a part of me! Deceive yourselves as long as you can, but it changes nothing! The Armors you bear may have been restrained by implanted Virtues, but their cores are still of Evil. No matter the Good you think you can do, that Evil **_**will**_** consume your minds and hearts, wither your souls from your bodies. Accept your fate! So long as the Armors exist, so long as there are dark emotions in the human heart, Arago will **_**never be gone**_**!**

Everyone on the field sensed the impressions, felt the pounding thoughts thundering through their minds, and none were left unaffected – nor could they ignore the sense of an even greater power in the background, listening, waiting, biding its time.

Then, Ryo laughed – a soft, sardonic chuckle, almost like a tiger's growl low in his throat. "You know, if I didn't already know any better, I _still_ would've guessed you're a part of that demon. You sound just like him. But let me tell you something, shard of Arago – that speech was old and outdated more than a year ago. You're wrong about us. So long as we remember our guiding Virtues, our Armors will _never_ fail us or humanity. We are the Ronin Warriors, and we've sworn to protect this world from the likes of you, and we'll never give up. We won't lose, no matter what. You can count on it!"

Urameshi folded his arms with a snort of mild annoyance. "Chh, and here I thought protecting the Human Realm was _my_ job."

Kurama allowed a grin at that. "Well, it's not as though we couldn't use the help, Yusuke, especially considering that out there somewhere is still that 'great collection of evil forces' Ishizu warned us about."

The spirit startled, exchanging discreet glances with Anzu. _They've spoken with Ishizu? She mentioned no such evils to me . ._ .

**Perhaps**, purred the voice of the shard, **but you still cannot deny me. The form of the Armors can be changed, but they cannot be destroyed . . . and neither can I**.

Hashiba had been silent throughout, finally nodding at that. "Maybe not, but I think there's something we might be able to do to neutralize you."

At a gesture, the Nine huddled up several yards removed from Gearfried and the shard, conversing silently across their Armor links. Those not included could read the brief debate on their faces, but soon enough they came to a decision.

Shuten met Jonouchi's eye as the Nine approached once again. "How high can your monster throw the shard?"

**Feh, and what good do you think that will do you, Ronin Warrior?**

Jonouchi shrugged, looking thoughtfully at Gearfried, but Otogi spoke up first. "I can have my Dark Bat fly it up. How high do you need it?"

Sanada grunted, "High enough that when our attacks hit it, we don't risk blowing away all of you guys."

8 8 8 8 8

**W-WHAT?** the shard thundered, and the company staggered with the efforts to throw off the thing's desperate, renewed attempts to dominate one of them, any of them. Kuwabara saw pharaoh-possessed Mutou scowl, then startled to feel him pour more power into the energies surrounding the company.

"We have you figured out, you vile thing," Shin growled. "You were splintered off from the rest before Kaosu was done, so you're a portion without a Virtue. Well, we'll _give_ you one! We'll give you nine – right through our super attacks!"

"Touma-kun, your bow." Nasutei returned to her friend the folded recurve she had been guarding. He received it with a word of thanks and a clear confusion in his eyes – how in the _hells_ did she come to be in possession of the Heavens Bow?

"My friends, wait!" the spirit called as the Ronins circled up and Otogi directed Dark Bat to take the breastplate from Gearfried.

"What? You got a better idea?" Kuwabara challenged. He had backed himself and Yukina well away from the gathered fighters, as had Yusuke and Kurama with Keiko and Nasutei. Hiei stood his ground, and Jun had run to duck behind Jonouchi and his Little Wing Guard, while Shizuru watched from the edges, interest hinting in her eyes as she lit a cigarette and settled back to watch. Honda had slipped his arms around Shizuka in comfort and protection, Otogi throwing him a mild glare but already occupied and unable to comfort the girl himself.

8 8 8 8 8

The spirit took them all in before returning his attention to Kuwabara, then Sanada and his teammates. "I have not, but let me conclude one thing before you do this, Ronin Warriors." He closed his eyes, one hand going to the Puzzle. He had poured more power into the Shadows and thus into his partners in this Game, the energies helping to block the attacks on their minds, robbing the enemy of its final weapon. _Shadows, hear me! The opponent is captured, no longer able to fight. There are no more moves it can make in this Game. Checkmate_. He held his breath even as he held his heart strong against his own misgivings. He did not want the Shadow Game still in play when the Ronins did what they had planned, wary of what effect the mixing of such powerful and different energies would have in interference with one another – not to mention the toll it would take on Otogi still to be connected to his Monster when Dark Bat fell before the combined onslaught of their attacks. However, the spirit dared not cancel the energies without the Game being properly recognized as "won," as the Shadows might count that a forfeit on his part, and he shuddered to think what might be the consequence, the Penalty, to himself and his friends in such a case.

The spirit breathed a faint sigh of relief with the sensation that flowed through him. The Shadows were appeased.

He opened his eyes – amethyst tinged with crimson – and locked a glare on the chunk of black metal bound to the plate of boiled leather in Dark Bat's claws. "It's finished. You have lost, shard of Arago. _Game Over_!"

The enclosure of purple-black Shadows broke and dissipated at the declaration, giving way to a star-filled sky. Those with the ability to perceive gasped at the sensation of a power infusing them, unnoticed until its release. They turned to gaze at the spirit in expressions ranging from confusion and curiosity to shock and distrust.

The spirit shook his head, still focused on the shard. Now was not the time for explanation. "Normally, at the end of a Shadow Game, it is my role to ensure punishment of the offender for their injustice by the invocation of a Penalty Game . . . but this one I defer to those with more right to you than I have." He gave a grim nod to the Ronin Warriors.

Ryo nodded in return, a feral grin tugging at his lips. "With pleasure. Ronin Warriors, to arms!"

"To arms!" the others chorused, weapons ready.

_"Twin Flame Cut!"_

_"Superwave Smash!"_

_"Ironrock Crush!"_

_"Vacuum Shockwave!"_

_"Thunderbolt Cut!"_

_"Red Lightning Chains!"_

_ "Leaping Darkness Slash!"_

_"Spiderweb Cast!"_

_"Snakefang Strike!"_

* * *

Author's Note: Please be sure to check my bio page for any updates, etc. Thanks!


	38. Chapter 38 Game Over

Disclaimer – Yu Yu Hakusho, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and Ronin Warriors (a.k.a. Yoroiden: Samurai Troopers) and all related characters, events, and concepts belong to their respective owners. I get no monetary benefit from this. My benefit is the enjoyment of dealing with beloved characters. If you recognize him/her/it, I don't own him/her/it. If you don't recognize, I might still not be the owner but it'd be best to ask. I'd appreciate it, anyway. ((grin))

"The Spellfire Saga – 1: Shards"  
by DragonDancer5150

Chapter 38 – Game Over

All six Duelists along with the Spirit Detectives and their combined friends fell back a step, jaws hanging in unabashed awe as nine incredible energy attacks exploded forth, converging overhead where Dark Bat hovered, meeting and spiraling together high out of sight. Dark Bat was obliterated, none even able to see the Solid Hologram's destruction, but a terrible blackness erupted in his wake, engulfing the whole column from the inside out, flowing back along the attacks to invade the Armors. One after another, the attacks quickly ceased as the warriors' concentration was broken, and the Nine staggered once again under the struggle. Light flared on each Ronin's forehead, shining from under the helms – Righteousness, Trust, Justice, Wisdom, Grace, Loyalty, Obedience, Endurance, Piety. The Armors themselves began to glow, throwing off the choking Evil once and for all.

Nine stances straightened and relaxed. Nine pairs of eyes blinked and cast about, meeting one another with assurance and gladness. Once again, the Ronin Warriors had triumphed.

8 8 8 8 8

Laughing with relief, Ryo turned to Yusuke, who had backed up even with Kaiba. "Hey, Urameshi-kun, tell Koenma-sama the next time you see him that he won't have to worry about it after all. The Ronin Warriors have taken care of the shard of Arago."

Before Yusuke could respond, a huff of annoyance off his left shoulder made him jump. "Dammit, Botan! How many times have I told you not to sneak up on me like that?"

Kaiba, too, startled at the sudden appearance of the azure-pigtailed girl beside him, but Botan ignored them both, hands on her hips as she glared at the fighters. "Well, that was really bright, Ronin Warriors. I'd expect a stupid stunt like that from Yusuke but not from you guys."

"Hey!" Yusuke yelped in protest.

"Well, Botan," Shu retorted, "it's not as though the damned thing gave us much of a choice."

Anubisu growled. "It tried to take us over again, more directly than ever."

"Only this time its energies were too far scattered to be effective," mused Rajura.

"Well, if you guys had just let me take it like Koenma-sama sent me to do, instead of attacking it like that – !"

"What exactly _did_ you guys do?" Anzu called, interrupting the argument.

Shuten silenced his companions with a wave, and Elementals and Seasonals alike quieted to let their scholar explain. "We attacked it as we did hoping to transfer a portion of each of our Virtues into it. It dissipated and followed our attacks back to us in turn, but then our Armors were able to absorb and neutralize it. It is no longer a threat to anyone." To Botan, he added, "Forgive us, but it is for the best. The shard was a lost splinter of our whole. It belongs with us."

" . . . it was still risky," the ferry girl grumped.

8 8 8 8 8

Kaiba looked at his watch. "Hn. Well, since Yugi has declared 'game over,' I'm powering down. I've wasted enough time here with you people and your magic talk. I still have a tournament to win – and you, Yugi, still have a Duel to fight." The spirit nodded solemnly.

Keiko gave him a sidelong glare. "Well then, don't let us lowlifes keep you waiting."

"What?" Urameshi smirked at the same time. "Not gonna stay for the after party?"

Kaiba ignored the caustic young woman and favored Urameshi with a mirthless grin. "I think I'll pass, Urameshi. I've no desire to tarry with you miscreants any longer than I must to ensure my own endeavors, namely confirming a certain Duelist doesn't try to abandon his destiny with me a second time over something meaningless."

Urameshi's fists clenched. "You mind repeating that in elementary-level vocabulary so we both know exactly what I'm pounding your face in for?"

"Yusuke, no." Keiko caught his arm, pulling him away from the arrogant young millionaire. "He's not worth it, Yusuke. Just let it go."

Urameshi relented with a huff, and Kaiba smirked before turning to the Duel Monsters he still had on the field, Lord of Dragons and two of his triplet signature wyrms. "Blue-Eyes, return! Rest up for the _real_ battle still to come." The trio might have nodded faintly before vanishing, though no one could be sure, as Kaiba switched off his Duel Disk, gathering and shuffling his Deck to replace in the case on his hip as the holographic projectors retracted.

Jonouchi and Otogi followed suit, Little Wing Guard and Gearfried the Iron Knight dispersing in sparks as their brethren had. Anzu and Mai were next, bidding silent farewells to Fairy's Gift and the surviving Harpie Lady Sister. That left only two Duel Monsters on the field.

8 8 8 8 8

A young woman in jeans and close-fitting top, black hair caught back in a loose braid, stood near the outer edge of the gathering, having successfully avoided the notice of most, but very little escaped the attention of the ancient spirit of the Millennium Puzzle. As he stood studying her, she turned bright brown eyes on him. Stiff with battle-readiness, he never took his gaze off her as he reached up to brush his fingers through Kuriboh's fur, an unspoken thank-you for his service, then switched off his Duel Disk. He was testing, knowing that he could have it powered back up in a heartbeat. Kuriboh vanished while the young woman only offered a mild tilt of her head. By this point, the rest of the company had followed the spirit's attention to her as well.

Suddenly, the woman's form shifted and blurred, erupting in shadowy tongues of flickering Darkness. Twin points of glowing crimson were the only features in an otherwise formless face, and misty wings of particulate shadow spread from the backs of her shoulders.

"What in the – ?" "AHH!" "What's that?" came the yelps from the company.

The spirit snarled, hyper aware again in that instant of the burn that itched on his _aibou's_ bodily chest. "_YOU!_" His Duel Disk hummed back to life with a flick of his thumb.

The figure's stance remained neutral for a breath longer before it held out a hand. A sword materialized, the blade glinting black in the starlight. The figure brought the sword up vertically before its face, then swept it downward in a wide, graceful arc – a warrior's salute. "Excellent test of your abilities, young Powers," came a feminine voice, soft and thickly accented. "You have won this day. Be sure to protect that which has been claimed." With a slight incline of the head, she was gone.

The spirit cursed under his breath that he had not moved fast enough to detain, or at least question, her. From the grumbles and scowls of the rest of the company, he knew he was not alone in that sentiment.

8 8 8 8 8

"N-no, leave me alone! Get it _off! HELP!_"

Everyone turned at the screams to see the formerly-possessed teen squirm and twist to his side, then up on his knees, sobbing and shaking as he looked about in miserable confusion and horror. He was surrounded in an instant.

"Sohma-kun!" "You're going to be all right." "Yeah, it's over now." "N-no . . . i-it's . . . not all right . . . " "His temperature is unusually low. We should get him to a hospital."

"Don't bother." That was Kaiba.

"What?" Jonouchi growled. "Listen, you stuck-up – !"

"Quit your barking and sit!" Kaiba snapped, shaking Jonouchi's grip from his arm. Several others were reacting as well, but held off as Kaiba tapped the logo pin on the collar of his duster. "Suori, call Kaiba Corporation's Emergency Response Division and send a nursing vehicle to my present location. Have the patient taken straight to the Kaiba Mansion and order a full systemic work-up on him. No one is to ask any questions, and he is to be kept under quarantined care until I say otherwise."

"Understood, Kaiba-sama," returned a feminine voice over the mini-speaker.

The rest of the group just stared at him for a moment. It was the one named Kurama, knelt with a comforting arm around Sohma, who spoke up first. "Kaiba-kun, thank you very much for your help."

Kaiba only snorted, arms crossed. "Don't. I'm not doing this out of the kindness of my heart." He turned to his rival. "Yugi, we have less than a half-hour to the deadline for being disqualified for the Battle City Finals. I'll _not_ have you miss our appointed Duel because you're off in some emergency room somewhere."

8 8 8 8 8

The spirit nodded, carefully retaining from his lips the amused grin glinting in his eyes. "I understand, Kaiba." _More than you know_.

Beside him, Yugi gazed up at his friend, contemplating. -_Kaiba-kun keeps claiming that no one and nothing else matter to him . . . but he doesn't _have_ to go so far as to take Sohma-kun into his company's personal care like that_.-

-_Exactly, Aibou_.-

Yugi frowned at the weariness he could sense from the spirit. -_Other Me, why don't we switch and let me handle things for now while you get some rest. We still have a long road ahead of us_.-

The spirit grimaced inwardly, knowing Yugi was right as he thought about that – the road to reclaiming some of his own shards, the fragmented and stolen shards of his memory. He relented with a nod, retreating into his labyrinthine soul room deep in the mystical energies of the Millennium Puzzle.

8 8 8 8 8

Shu was turning to them just then. "Hey, Mutou-sa-AH!" He flinched away as Yugi's ghostly form faded from sight, the palpable energy signature of the body changing with the shift in posture, and Yugi – body and soul – looked up at Shu with a grin.

"Actually, my friends just call me Yugi. You can too, if you'd like."

Shu recovered his shock at the warm openness on his classmate's face, so different from the guarded expression of a moment ago when the spirit was in possession. "Yeah, I'd like that! Hey, listen . . . good luck, man. In the finals, I mean. All of you guys!"

Mai gave a mock huff, flipping blonde locks over her shoulder. "Hn, no love for the women, I see." She gave Anzu a wink.

Shu backpedaled verbally, not having meant to slight the cunning Duelist whom he had watched play herself into finalist positions in every tournament he had followed to date. "Ah! N-no, no! Sorry, I-I didn't mean – !"

Mai laughed. "Relax, kid. I know what you meant."

8 8 8 8 8

Kaiba rolled his eyes, striding off for the apartment building. "Come on, Yugi."

Yugi hesitated, eyeing his new friends in concern.

Kurama pushed back to his feet as Keiko and Yukina took his place to comfort and reassure Sohma. "We'll stay here and make sure Kaiba-kun's people find him. Mutou-san – "

Yugi shook his head with a modest wave of his hand, his glance saying that his comment went for all of them. "Please, just 'Yugi'."

Kurama grinned. "Yugi-san. I know that _you_ are indeed Yugi and that the pharaoh's spirit has withdrawn. Can he still hear through you?"

"Yup."

"Good." Kurama looked around at the remaining Duelists. "All of you, please – be careful. I have a feeling that what lies just ahead for all of you will prove dangerous in ways you cannot even imagine."

It was Mai's turn to roll eyes, but Jonouchi's jaw and fists clenched in fury as he nodded and looked at Yugi. "Yeah, I bet. You _know_ that bastard Malik's gonna be there." Anzu only shivered in horror.

Ryo nodded as he and the others shed their Armors before anyone outside of the immediate company arrived to witness their secret. "I'm sure the Finals will be televised, just like the rest of the tournament has been. We'll be watching and rooting for all of you."

"Thank you very much!" Yugi bowed with a grin.

Jonouchi gave them a thumbs-up. "Don't worry. We'll make sure it's somethin' worth watchin'."

"Well, if it's anything like the past two days have been," Urameshi laughed, "I'm sure it will be."

"Does anyone have a pen and paper?" Nasutei put in.

Otogi pulled a pen from his vest and offered one of his business cards from the Black Crown. Nasutei wrote on the back, then offered the card to Yugi. "We've not properly met. My name is Nasutei Yagyu. Pleased to meet you. This is my home phone number and my number at Sengoku University, where I'm a research assistant. As soon as you guys are ready, we all need to get back together. There's far more going on than that shard, this tournament and the person responsible for _your_ most recent troubles."

Yugi's brow knit in concern – more going on than Malik? – glanced at his friends, receiving nods from all, then gave Nasutei a small bow. "Pleased to meet you, too . . . and yes, thank you. I'll give you a call probably sometime tomorrow, then." He frowned, taking in the company one last time. Without a doubt, he had seen Rain of Mercy work real healing on his new friends, but some of them had worse injuries than the magic had been able to erase completely. Overall, the lot of them still looked pretty worn. "You guys are all going to be all right?" He looked especially at Kurama.

The redhead grinned at him. "Thank you, but we'll be fine. For myself, I have been much worse off, and I recover very quickly." He nodded silent forgiveness at Shin, who stood gazing at him with deep apology in his eyes. Yugi could almost hear the thought behind the look: there would be time later to talk.

"Well," Mai interjected, "I don't know about you boys but, as Kaiba said, I've got a tournament to win."

"Oh, yeah?" Jonouchi rejoined, the glimmer in his eyes matching the friendly competition in her smirk. "Well, we'll just see about that!"

Yugi chuckled. "None of us are going to win if we get ourselves disqualified! Come on, guys! Take care, Urameshi-kun, Hashiba-kun, everyone!"

"Be careful and good luck, you guys!" "See ya later!" "Don't forget to watch your backs!" The chorus of warnings and well-wishes rang across the field as Yugi, Jonouchi, Mai, Honda, Otogi, Anzu and Shizuka bolted from the sports park.

8 8 8 8 8

Standing at the door of his soul room in the Millennium Puzzle, the spirit could not shake a clichéd phrase from his mind in spite of his best efforts as he thought about the task ahead, and the roadblocks he knew he could anticipate.

_Out of the frying pan, into the fire . ._ .

* * *

Author's Note: Please be sure to check my bio page for any updates, etc. Thanks!


	39. Chapter 39 Epilogue

Disclaimer – Yu Yu Hakusho, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and Ronin Warriors (a.k.a. Yoroiden: Samurai Troopers) and all related characters, events, and concepts belong to their respective owners. I get no monetary benefit from this. My benefit is the enjoyment of dealing with beloved characters. If you recognize him/her/it, I don't own him/her/it. If you don't recognize, I might still not be the owner but it'd be best to ask. I'd appreciate it, anyway. ((grin))

"The Spellfire Saga – 1: Shards"  
by DragonDancer5150

Epilogue

Yugi sat alone in his bedroom, gazing at the solid gold box on the desk before him, tracing the hieroglyphs across the front. He knew its every line and curve, had memorized its every inch some nine years ago when he first found it collecting dust on a back shelf of his grandfather's game shop one day where he had been playing as a child. It was the box that had held the Millennium Puzzle for three thousand years . . . and now held all three God Cards – Osiris, the Saint Dragon God of the Sky; Obelisk, the Great War God; and Ra's Winged Dragon.

As promised, Yugi had called Nasutei when they got home a number of hours ago, but he and his friends would be waiting a few days before getting together with the rest of the company alongside whom they had fought only just yesterday evening. There was something else they had to do first. Tomorrow after school, Yugi would be going to the museum with Jonouchi, Honda, Anzu, Bakura – and possibly Urameshi and some of the others – to see a stone slab on display from an ancient Egyptian temple. Otogi had the Black Crown to see to, and Mai had parted ways with the group upon returning to Domino.

_I haven't seen that stone, _he mused,_ but Anzu said there's an image of a pharaoh carved on it that looks like me . . . or Other Me. Apparently that stone slab means a lot to his lost memories. The three God cards, this mysterious slab . . . _His fists clenched in determination. _I promise you, My Other Self, you'll find your memories soon!_ The spirit did not react outwardly, but Yugi knew that, deep within the room of his soul, within the Puzzle, the spirit knew well his conviction.

That would all come soon enough, though. At the moment, Yugi knew that the spirit was mentally preparing for something even before that, something of equal importance – to both their hearts.

-_Aibou . . . _-

Yugi nodded, and the two traded places. He settled into the room of his own soul as the spirit pulled their Deck and a deep breath, a grin of positive anticipation tugging at his lips as he set to the task of modifying it with cards from Yugi's considerable collection. They had one last Duel to fight, one that both souls had been looking forward to for three days now.

Yugi gently closed the mental door so that the spirit could concentrate without distraction, then let his mind turn to the conversation with his grandfather only moments ago. Sugoroku had wandered into Yugi's bedroom and begged to see the exceptional cards "just one more time" – he had already ogled them at least a dozen times by then – and they wound up in an argument over whether or not Yugi should allow him to display them in the shop as the ultimate in collectors' items. In fact, Sugoroku had reminded Yugi for a moment of that withered-frog-like character from a fantasy trilogy of American – or was it British? – literature that Bakura had once told him about. Sugoroku had pushed to the point that Yugi finally lost his temper, if only for that brief instant – "_I said NO!_" As Sugoroku relented at last, he had explained himself a bit.

_"You don't know how hard it was, Grandpa. You don't know the _life-and-death_ Duels the Other Me had to go through in Battle City to win the God cards!" _Not to mention everyone else's sufferings – Bakura, Mai, Jonouchi . . . Rishid . . . Malik . ._ . _

_ "Hm?" Sugoroku interjected. "The _other_ you?"_

_ "Urk!" Yugi gasped. "D-did I say 'the other me'? I meant . . . uh, 'it bothered me'." _Ut-oh . . . Grandpa hasn't met the Other Me . ._ . Well, there was that one time, some months ago, when Sugoroku_ _had spoken to both him and "the other him" from time to time during the Duelist Kingdom tournament. Then again, it had been from within a videotape in which his soul had been trapped – so maybe he did not remember . . ._

_ "Yugi." Something in the tone snapped Yugi's attention back to the present with a twinge of foreboding. Still, he was completely unprepared for his grandfather's next words. "You're talking about the pharaoh's soul, aren't you?"_

_ Yugi nearly fell out of his chair. "__WHAT?__ Grandpa, how did you . . . ?"_

_ Suddenly gone were the light-heartedness and the half-joking greed over the cards. Mutou Sugoroku regarded his grandson in silence for the span of several heartbeats, and Yugi could see the memories and deep thoughts playing behind amethyst eyes as rich as his own. At length, he laid a gnarled hand on his grandson's shoulder. "All I know is . . . the one who solves the Millennium Puzzle inherits the _will of the Pharaoh_, and that person will be endlessly tested. Yugi, that is the _fate_ of the chosen one."_

Grandpa . . _. For a long moment, grandfather and grandson gazed at one another, and Yugi could almost hear his grandfather's thoughts, in truth or imagined – _No matter what, you mustn't give up!_ Finally, he nodded in confidence. After all, he was not alone in facing whatever fate had in store for him. "I know."_

_ With that, the moment passed, the dark seriousness broken. "Oh, ho!" Sugoroku_ _laughed, ruffling his grandson's thick hair affectionately. "Well, time for bed. Good night, Yugi!"_

_ "Good night, Grandpa!"_

Within his soul room, Yugi sat up from the ethereal bed on which he reclined. He opened his door. -_Nakama! Don't forget to put Heavy Storm back in_.-

He could not help a grin in return at the deep fondness he sensed in the other as the spirit's chuckle purred down their bond. -_Already done, Aibou. See?_- The spirit guided Yugi's consciousness back into the body to merge with his just enough to perceive through the eyes as slender fingers shifted through the cards, finding and displaying the one in question before returning to the task at hand.

Yugi nodded and retired back fully into his soul room, mind returning to the conversation with his grandfather. _I . . . I wonder just how much Grandpa does know about what's going on. He's the one who found the Puzzle to begin with, navigating the traps in the Tomb of the Nameless Pharaoh some thirty years ago when he was an adventuring gambler, before meeting Grandma and settling down to open the Kame Game Shop_.

_"That is the fate of the chosen one." Why did Grandpa say that?_ He recalled similar words from the dark spirit of the Millennium Ring. _"To awaken the pharaoh's memories is the duty of the one chosen by the Puzzle." How could he have known? How much _did_ he know about all that?_ Thankfully, Yugi thought, there was no asking _him_ anymore, or so it would seem. The mysterious spirit of the Ring had apparently perished when Bakura Ryou, his host and Yugi's friend, had suffered their souls being separated from the body as Penalty of a lost Shadow Game inflicted during the terrible Battle City Finals. Yugi shook his head, remembering Kurama's warning from yesterday evening and thinking about just how right he had been. Yugi and the spirit had managed to win back Bakura's soul along with accomplishing many other victories by the time those horrible Duels were over with for good. He shuddered especially at the memories of Jonouchi's Duel, which had left him in a coma, and of his own very last one only just this past afternoon, the one that had threatened – and nearly succeeded! – to strand the spirit in his body as it ate his own soul alive, consumed by the cold, unforgiving Shadows . . .

With the end of the finals, too, Yugi had found himself in possession of two more of the Millennium Items: Ishizu's Necklace and Malik's Rod. The end too found Malik with the realization of his grave misjudgment, and he fought to right all the wrong he had done. Malik had long had the Millennium Ring in his possession by that point as well and had given it to Yami along with the Rod, though the Ring would later turn up missing from Yugi's room. Then was announced the self-destruction of the island on which the finals actually took place, the countdown started, and there was no time to search for it.

Yugi felt the body shift and sit back, stretching. It was done. Yugi manifested as the spirit shuffled their Deck one last time before standing and slipping it into the small case riding on the back of his hip. Yugi tapped a finger on a card sitting apart from the collection still strewn across the desk in careful disarray. The spirit nodded and gathered it into his hand, pausing to study the powerful black dragon on the face, red eyes seeming to wink at him in good-natured encouragement. Another grin tugged at the spirit's lips and Yugi chuckled silently as the card joined the rest of the Deck in the hip case.

Yugi looked at the alarm clock to their left, on the shelf of his bed's headboard. It was a goofy, almost cartoonish little thing, but it had been his first timepiece as a child – and a gift from his father. -_Ten-thirty. We need to go. Heh, knowing him, he's already there._-

The spirit nodded and retreated. Yugi slipped his hand through the cuff of his Duel Disk, snapping it closed on his wrist and forearm, then headed out of his room and down the stairs. His mother had gone to bed just a little while before, and he hoped his grandfather had as well. He would have to disarm the alarm on the door of the shop if he went out the front – and the little bell would ring when the door opened anyway – so Yugi turned to slip out the back, through the kitchen and dinette space. House key in hand, he was already starting to close the door behind him when a voice stopped him cold.

"Eh! Where are you going?" Sugoroku stood on the other side of the living room, at the foot of the rear staircase, rubbing sleep from his eyes.

"Ah . . . I've got something to do. I'll be back soon."

"Really?" Sugoroku studied him a moment longer, then seemed to come to a decision. "Be careful."

Relieved that he would not have to convince his grandfather to let him go without an argument – or worse, have to leave without permission at all – Yugi nodded, waved good-bye, and hurried off.

Mind full of memories of the past forty-eight hours – indeed the past year that he had known this person, and all that they had been through together – he crossed town on a sort of mental autopilot. It was the spirit who brought his attention back to the present as he darted into an alley whose opposite end opened onto the town square. His eyes found the tall, slim figure silhouetted against the streetlights of the square behind him, a thick, unruly mop of gold crowning a head that tilted as he came around the corner.

Soft brown eyes glimmered in challenge, quiet excitement, and brotherly love for both souls, no doubt able to read the shift of the body's movements when the two traded places once again. The spirit closed the distance between them, and Yugi knew well the memories filling his mind and heart.

8 8 8 8 8

The spirit would never forget to be thankful for this sight, of his friend standing tall, alive and strong after the Duel – _Only just this morning? Gods, so long ago now_ – that had felled him, by all rights should have killed him. He would replace the memory of the hallway outside of the room where this one lay in a dying coma, Duel Disk switched off while he pounded the wall in grief and begged his friend, his brother, not to die. Before the stroke of midnight, that whole terrible chapter in all three of their lives – his, his living partner's, and this man's – would be closed for good, framed by this last and arguably most important Duel.

The spirit stopped about twenty feet from the other, a good distance for a Dueling field. "You're early, Jonouchi-kun." The minute hand of the clock on the pole in the center of the square inched closer to eleven o'clock.

Jonouchi grinned, pulling his Deck from its case. "Yeah, but what the hell. Why wait? We'll have this decided by midnight, in any case."

The spirit smirked, falling into the mindset of the Duel. Jonouchi was now his opponent, and the spirit would face him with the honor that position demanded. After all, he had more than earned it. However, the man he faced was one thing more, something no other opponent before him had ever been: his closest friend, his brother-in-arms. The spirit cherished each and every one of his and his _aibou's_ friends, but not one had come so far, fought so hard, gained so much as Jonouchi Katsuya, and the pride the spirit felt in this young man knew no bounds. Red-Eyes Black Dragon would finally go home with the one to whom he belonged because, no matter which of them took this fight, they both already had won simply by being able to stand there, True Duelist to True Duelist.

Twin Duel Disks hummed to life. Twin sets of holographic projectors fired out into position. Two Decks slid into place as two voices in unison rang out in the cool night air.

"Duel!"

A pair of ruby eyes topped by a single one of mystic purple watched from high above, intent on ensuring that this sacred fight of honor remained private and uninterrupted.

8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8

It was nearly one in the morning, but the spirit was restless, even after all that had taken place over the past few days, indeed the past few hours. Exhausted but infinitely content, Yugi had returned from the Duel with Jonouchi and collapsed right into bed, barely taking the time to change into his pajamas. The spirit chuckled to himself at that, then turned his eyes to gaze out the window in the steeply slanted roof-wall. Had it only been three nights since last he had sat like this? He heaved a deep sigh, his mind heavy with all that had happened in the interim – the Duels, the Shadow Games, the lives and souls of dear friends he had nearly lost . . .

His eyes wandered from the window to the gym bag on the bottom shelf of the bookcase behind him, within which rested the other two Millennium Items in his and Yugi's possession – the Necklace and the Rod. So much suffering – he could not help but wonder . . . was it all worth it? And what lay ahead for him? What was his fate now?

"Nakama . . . "

Yugi's voice was so soft that, for a moment, the spirit could not tell if he had honestly heard or merely imagined it. Hearing the nickname his closest friend used in private, he looked over to see Yugi sitting up in bed, regarding him with those large expressive eyes he had come to cherish so deeply. He had already caused the innocent young man such pain . . .

-_I'm sorry. Did I wake you?_-

Yugi shook his head. "No. I couldn't sleep, either. After all, tomorrow we might get your memories back! You've been wanting them for _so long! _I'm too excited to sleep!"

_Such incredible selflessness . ._ . The spirit looked away briefly to gaze out the window, unable to meet those bright, generous eyes. It was a long moment before he could speak. -_Aibou_,- he started hesitantly, -_I know that who I really am . . . is the soul of a pharaoh sealed in the Millennium Puzzle. I met you when you became my aibou, my partner in the search for my memories. Then I met Jonouchi and Anzu, Honda, and lots of other friends . . . _-

"Yup."

-_Now I have _new_ memories, the memories of being with my friends. No matter what happens to me, those memories will _always_ be there._- That was one thing that bothered him deeply, that he would lose his present self in regaining his past. Speaking the words aloud, however, helped him to start believing them as he had not been able to yet. He turned to meet Yugi's gaze then. -_To me, the memories of my friends are an _eternal treasure_._- He could not emphasize that enough.

He watched Yugi absorb his words, mulling some of his own thoughts. Yugi's hand found the Puzzle sitting in his lap, and he cupped it up in his palm before raising his gaze once again to the spirit's. "Nakama, this is just like when I put the Millennium Puzzle together. This time it's _your_ turn to put the pieces of your memory back together. As long as you need me, I'll _always_ be your partner!"

-_Aibou . . ._ - No words could begin to express the spirit's gratitude. It was Yugi's boundless hope, courage and conviction that had always given the spirit the strength to face any challenge set before him – and now more so than ever. With a big, genuine smile on his face, the spirit nodded. -_YES!_-

* * *

Author's Note: Please be sure to check my bio page for any updates, etc. Thanks!

_Owari desu yo!_


End file.
